Justin Bates KC
@justinbates.bsky.social
Housing lawyer, editor of the Encyclopedia of Housing Law, co-author Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act and Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act.
Memorandum of understanding between the Regulator of Social Housing and the Charity Commission. Important for charitable social landlords in England:
www.gov.uk/government/p...
www.gov.uk/government/p...
Memorandum of Understanding between the Regulator of Social Housing and The Charity Commission for England and Wales
www.gov.uk
November 12, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Memorandum of understanding between the Regulator of Social Housing and the Charity Commission. Important for charitable social landlords in England:
www.gov.uk/government/p...
www.gov.uk/government/p...
This is a remarkable case which will see the Chief Constable punished for contempt! Much to unpack but huge praise due to junior counsel for the appellant and, for very different reasons, to counsel for the Chief Constable
caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewca/civ/202...
caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewca/civ/202...
Nadine Buzzard-Quashie v Chief Constable of Northamptonshire -
Find Case Law
- The National Archives
caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk
November 12, 2025 at 9:22 AM
This is a remarkable case which will see the Chief Constable punished for contempt! Much to unpack but huge praise due to junior counsel for the appellant and, for very different reasons, to counsel for the Chief Constable
caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewca/civ/202...
caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewca/civ/202...
Reposted by Justin Bates KC
Permission to appeal to the Supreme Court has been refused in the case of Beach v South Hams DC. The case concerned accom offered to a man where the LA had accepted the full housing duty; he was in priority need as he had children, but he presented without the children, in need of emergency accom
November 3, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Permission to appeal to the Supreme Court has been refused in the case of Beach v South Hams DC. The case concerned accom offered to a man where the LA had accepted the full housing duty; he was in priority need as he had children, but he presented without the children, in need of emergency accom
This isn't an exclusive. These LA-owned/controlled housing companies have existed for decades. And have many legitimate purposes (e.g. to allow social housing to be built without attracting the RTB).
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Revealed: Labour-run council using legal loophole to serve families with no-fault evictions
Exclusive: London council created an arm’s-length body to manage some of its housing stock
www.theguardian.com
October 11, 2025 at 6:23 PM
This isn't an exclusive. These LA-owned/controlled housing companies have existed for decades. And have many legitimate purposes (e.g. to allow social housing to be built without attracting the RTB).
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Reposted by Justin Bates KC
Can't think of many better illustrations of how badly we have botched housing policy than the fact that our bill for housing homeless families (£2.8bn pa) is now higher than the money we spend each year on new affordable housing (£2.3bn)
www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/english...
www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/english...
English councils’ temporary accommodation bill rises to £2.8bn
Councils in England spent a record £2.8bn on temporary accommodation last year, with the annual bill rising by 25% as the homelessness crisis deepens.
www.insidehousing.co.uk
September 29, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Can't think of many better illustrations of how badly we have botched housing policy than the fact that our bill for housing homeless families (£2.8bn pa) is now higher than the money we spend each year on new affordable housing (£2.3bn)
www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/english...
www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/english...
Ye gods. Westminster accept a breach of s.193(2) HA 1996 and accept they have been in breach for months. They want 12 weeks to comply. The court gave them 4. They went down for a proportion of C's costs plus their own.
caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewhc/admin/2...
caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewhc/admin/2...
Find Case Law - The National Archives
Judgments and decisions from 2003 onwards.
caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk
September 26, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Ye gods. Westminster accept a breach of s.193(2) HA 1996 and accept they have been in breach for months. They want 12 weeks to comply. The court gave them 4. They went down for a proportion of C's costs plus their own.
caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewhc/admin/2...
caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewhc/admin/2...
Reposted by Justin Bates KC
Rayner says in her resignation letter: "The challenges of government are nothing compared to the challenge of putting food on the table and getting a roof over our head when I brought up kids working as a home help."
Absolutely. A shame to lose that perspective from the cabinet table.
Absolutely. A shame to lose that perspective from the cabinet table.
September 5, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Rayner says in her resignation letter: "The challenges of government are nothing compared to the challenge of putting food on the table and getting a roof over our head when I brought up kids working as a home help."
Absolutely. A shame to lose that perspective from the cabinet table.
Absolutely. A shame to lose that perspective from the cabinet table.
Reposted by Justin Bates KC
The long tradition of the position of Sec of State for housing being a cursed one continues.
September 5, 2025 at 11:05 AM
The long tradition of the position of Sec of State for housing being a cursed one continues.
Ooh - that's a very important discovery.
Final add: govt has promised to exit hotels by the end of the parliament. But interestingly Mears (asylum contractor in the north east) stated in their half year results that govt’s intention is to get out in 2026. In the meantime, Mears expect to have bought ~£50m in housing by year end.
August 21, 2025 at 8:18 AM
Ooh - that's a very important discovery.
Reposted by Justin Bates KC
This isn’t a hard one. Right to Buy massively benefited one generation of tenants (and good luck to them) but at the expense of subsequent generations of people in housing need. And the consequential homelessness costs are destroying the finances of local councils to this day.
Forty-five years since council tenants were encouraged to join the ‘property-owning democracy’, has Margaret Thatcher’s flagship scheme backfired? Melissa York meets right-to-buy’s winners and losers
Did right-to-buy cause Britain’s housing crisis?
Forty-five years since council tenants were encouraged to join the ‘property-owning democracy’, has Margaret Thatcher’s flagship scheme backfired? Melissa York meets right-to-buy’s winners and losers
www.thetimes.com
August 13, 2025 at 5:52 PM
This isn’t a hard one. Right to Buy massively benefited one generation of tenants (and good luck to them) but at the expense of subsequent generations of people in housing need. And the consequential homelessness costs are destroying the finances of local councils to this day.
Now there is a vacancy... time for the Karen Buck bat signal?
Well... Probably the right thing to do given the difficulties in working with the homelessness sector after the rental story. Refreshingly prompt resignation. But the brief really needs a longish term minister.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Homelessness Minister Rushanari Ali quits
Homelessness Minister Rushanari Ali quits
www.bbc.co.uk
August 8, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Now there is a vacancy... time for the Karen Buck bat signal?
Reposted by Justin Bates KC
Made it into the new Private Eye @privateeyenews.bsky.social Now I can retire.
August 7, 2025 at 10:19 AM
Made it into the new Private Eye @privateeyenews.bsky.social Now I can retire.
That rarest of beasts - the 2nd case from the UT on the duties on letting agents to publish details of fees.
www.gov.uk/administrati...
www.gov.uk/administrati...
London Residentials Ltd v London Borough of Newham: [2025] UKUT 201 (AAC)
Upper Tribunal Administrative Appeals Chamber decision by Judge Perez on 22 June 2025.
www.gov.uk
August 6, 2025 at 9:03 AM
That rarest of beasts - the 2nd case from the UT on the duties on letting agents to publish details of fees.
www.gov.uk/administrati...
www.gov.uk/administrati...
One (small) bit of good news on homelessness in England - number of families in B&B has dropped by over 30% (March 2025 as against March 2024). Applications still going up. Households in TA still going up.
www.gov.uk/government/s...
www.gov.uk/government/s...
Statutory homelessness in England: January to March 2025
www.gov.uk
July 24, 2025 at 2:56 PM
One (small) bit of good news on homelessness in England - number of families in B&B has dropped by over 30% (March 2025 as against March 2024). Applications still going up. Households in TA still going up.
www.gov.uk/government/s...
www.gov.uk/government/s...
England and Wales have diverged on eligibility for homelessness assistance and allocations.
Intention appears to have been to catch same people (Brits fleeing conflict in Middle East). E has a general category (anyone leaving any country pusuant to gov advice) W has limited it to identified areas.
Intention appears to have been to catch same people (Brits fleeing conflict in Middle East). E has a general category (anyone leaving any country pusuant to gov advice) W has limited it to identified areas.
The Allocation of Housing and Homelessness (Eligibility) (England) and Persons Subject to Immigration Control (Housing Authority Accommodation and Homelessness) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
Regulation 2 of these Regulations amends the Allocation of Housing and Homelessness (Eligibility) (England) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/1294) (“the Eligibility Regulations”). The amendments ensure tha...
www.legislation.gov.uk
July 24, 2025 at 7:34 AM
England and Wales have diverged on eligibility for homelessness assistance and allocations.
Intention appears to have been to catch same people (Brits fleeing conflict in Middle East). E has a general category (anyone leaving any country pusuant to gov advice) W has limited it to identified areas.
Intention appears to have been to catch same people (Brits fleeing conflict in Middle East). E has a general category (anyone leaving any country pusuant to gov advice) W has limited it to identified areas.
Reposted by Justin Bates KC
Strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services: consultation
www.gov.uk
July 4, 2025 at 11:28 AM
The leasehold reform paper is out. Essentially, a mixture of questions around implementing the service charge / management aspects of the 2024 Act and then questions about wider reform. This is a serious piece of work
www.gov.uk/government/c...
www.gov.uk/government/c...
Strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services: consultation
www.gov.uk
July 4, 2025 at 11:31 AM
The leasehold reform paper is out. Essentially, a mixture of questions around implementing the service charge / management aspects of the 2024 Act and then questions about wider reform. This is a serious piece of work
www.gov.uk/government/c...
www.gov.uk/government/c...
Reposted by Justin Bates KC
Strengthening leaseholder consumer rights
"Following the consultation, we intend to bring the various measures into force as quickly as possible. To end the feudal leasehold system for good"
@matthewpennycookmp.bsky.social
#Leaseholdscandal
questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-stat...
"Following the consultation, we intend to bring the various measures into force as quickly as possible. To end the feudal leasehold system for good"
@matthewpennycookmp.bsky.social
#Leaseholdscandal
questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-stat...
Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament
Information from UK Parliament on written questions & answers, written statements and daily reports.
questions-statements.parliament.uk
July 4, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Strengthening leaseholder consumer rights
"Following the consultation, we intend to bring the various measures into force as quickly as possible. To end the feudal leasehold system for good"
@matthewpennycookmp.bsky.social
#Leaseholdscandal
questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-stat...
"Following the consultation, we intend to bring the various measures into force as quickly as possible. To end the feudal leasehold system for good"
@matthewpennycookmp.bsky.social
#Leaseholdscandal
questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-stat...
Reposted by Justin Bates KC
I think if you asked people in the social housing sector you'd get a wildly different picture. Most of what they've done has gone down extremely well so far. But the impacts of these policies and the extra funding are long term, not generating immediate changes for the better.
🎂 It’s the anniversary of Labour’s election win. The Government had some early stumbles, but what do the public think is their biggest mistake? Asked to say in their own words, it’s one of the most stark word clouds we’ve seen. Winter Fuel Allowance drowns everything else out.
July 4, 2025 at 9:32 AM
I think if you asked people in the social housing sector you'd get a wildly different picture. Most of what they've done has gone down extremely well so far. But the impacts of these policies and the extra funding are long term, not generating immediate changes for the better.
Not on Westlaw yet but important homelessness case - s.189A assessments are challenged by JR, not by ss.202/204 review/appeal.
www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWH...
www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWH...
Access denied
www.bailii.org
July 4, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Not on Westlaw yet but important homelessness case - s.189A assessments are challenged by JR, not by ss.202/204 review/appeal.
www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWH...
www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWH...
Ooh! A very good change to Part 6, HA 1996 - from 10 July 2025, a local authority cannot apply "local connection" tests under Part 6 to certain categories of domestic abuse survivor nor certain care leavers
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/70...
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/70...
The Allocation of Housing (Qualification Criteria for Victims of Domestic Abuse and Care Leavers) (England) Regulations 2025
These Regulations prescribe a criterion which local housing authorities in England may not use in deciding what classes of persons do not qualify for an allocation of housing.
www.legislation.gov.uk
June 20, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Ooh! A very good change to Part 6, HA 1996 - from 10 July 2025, a local authority cannot apply "local connection" tests under Part 6 to certain categories of domestic abuse survivor nor certain care leavers
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/70...
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/70...
The abolition of priority need and the concept of intentional homelessness! Come and join us as we talk through these major changes to homelessness law in Wales.
www.landmarkchambers.co.uk/events/homel...
www.landmarkchambers.co.uk/events/homel...
Homelessness and Social Housing Allocations… - Landmark Chambers
Landmark Chambers is a leading barristers’ chambers based in London, UK. Our team of experienced barristers provides specialist advice and representation…
www.landmarkchambers.co.uk
June 11, 2025 at 3:05 PM
The abolition of priority need and the concept of intentional homelessness! Come and join us as we talk through these major changes to homelessness law in Wales.
www.landmarkchambers.co.uk/events/homel...
www.landmarkchambers.co.uk/events/homel...
Reposted by Justin Bates KC
One date on the horizon I didn't know about before reading this was 2039: the year that the Flood Re scheme which splits the risk of flood between insurers and government ends. If it's not replaced, "It’s quite possible they’ll just withdraw from insuring in certain locations."
June 9, 2025 at 8:18 AM
One date on the horizon I didn't know about before reading this was 2039: the year that the Flood Re scheme which splits the risk of flood between insurers and government ends. If it's not replaced, "It’s quite possible they’ll just withdraw from insuring in certain locations."