MSB’s Social Housing Highlight – September
Bringing you all the latest updates from the world of Social Housing.
The team at MSB, along with the rest of the country, have been deeply saddened by the passing of the Queen earlier this month. The legal profession has seen changes happen overnight after the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, with one major change being the Queen’s Counsel (QC) now becoming the King’s Counsel (KC).
This change in legal formalities also means that prosecutions will now be called in the name of His Majesty King Charles III.
In addition to the title changes for King’s Counsel, The Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court will now become the King’s Bench Division which forms the largest of the High Court Divisions. The King’s Bench Division oversees various disputes including negligence, libel, and personal injury claims. However, the division can also be called on to oversee more specialist cases.
The change from Queen’s Counsel to King’s Counsel means that criminal prosecutions will now fall under ‘R v Smith’ with the ‘R’ now representing the King, Rex, instead of what previously stood for the Queen, Regina.
The latest at MSB
Earlier this month, Andy Moore and Amy Tagoe delivered our free monthly webinar on Effective Management of Cluttered and Hoarded Properties, while Louise Murphy has been busy delivering bespoke Disrepair training to various organisations and businesses. If you are interested in arranging training sessions with the team, please contact dominiqueowens@msbsolicitors.co.uk.
This month we saw Beth McKeown successfully complete her training contact and is now a fully qualified Solicitor. On behalf of MSB, we are all incredibly proud of how hard she has worked. Read more about Beth’s journey here.
Louise Murphy, Tom Stockton, Rachael Payne, and Amy Tagoe assisted One Manchester by gardening and painting at an independent living scheme in September, you can read more about it, here.
All our teams love getting stuck in to support great causes, so if you have any projects you would like us to get involved with, please contact thomasstockton@msbsolicitors.co.uk.
Amy Tagoe and Tom Stockton had an exceptionally busy month, as they also joined Trafford Housing Trust on one of their Estate Walkarounds this month.
After Miriam Margolyes’s “This Much is True” received mixed reviews in September’s book club, Angela Badrock was tasked with choosing the 10th book which will see them delve back into the world of fiction with Stephen King. Our recommended Book Club read the upcoming month is The Gunslinger. Read the latest newsletter here.
Updates and insight
Phillip Coburn provides a roundup of Housing Complaint Decisions by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. Read More
Andrew Fairman shared his thoughts on Green Policies and Net Zero for Social Housing, as the sector faces one of its biggest challenges in getting to grips with decarbonisation of existing stock and paving the way with new greener options. Read More
Housing Law News
Proposed Rent Cap Consultation
In August, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities launched a consultation on a proposed rent cap in social housing in a bid to protect the country’s vulnerable households. The Consultation on the proposed rent cap closes on the 12th October 2022. Read more.
Tenant Satisfaction Measures Standard
The Regulator of Social Housing has announced it will introduce the Tenant Satisfaction Measures Standard from April 2023. Amy Tagoe explains more below. Read more.
Housing Ombudsman
From 1st October 2022, changes will be brought into the Housing Ombudsman Service to make it easier for residents to access the service. Read more about the changes below. Read more.
Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Alarm Regulations
New Carbon Monoxide & Smoke Alarm Regulations are coming into force on 1st October 2022. Julia Michalczyk explains more below.Read more.
The Home Loss Payments (Prescribed Amounts) (England) Regulations 2022 (Statutory Instrument 2022 No.793)
From 1st October 2022, Home Loss Payments will increase the minimum and maximum payment thresholds for owner-occupiers, changing them from £71,000 and £7,100, to £78,000 and £7,800 respectively for displacements on or after 1st October 2022. The flat rate paid to tenants has also been raised from £7,100 to £7,800 for displacements on or after 1st October 2022.
Upcoming events
3rd August 2022
Our next free webinar, ‘A Social Housing Guide to Trespass Possession Proceedings’, will take place on 5th October 2022 via Zoom. Please email dominiqueowens@msbsolicitors.co.uk to book your place. If you would like to be added to our mailing list to receive updates on free training and events, please get in touch.
23rd November 2022
Andrew Fairman and Julia Michalczyk will be hosting the ‘Coffee, Compliance and Building Safety’ seminar later into the autumn. Further details and information about the event will be sent out shortly.
Case of the month
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council v Mailley [2022] EWHC 2328 (QB)
The court considered S87 Housing Act 1985 and Article 8 and 14 ECHR together with the interplay between residential care and succession. Michelle Summers provides a helpful summary here.