Legal Article
14/12/22
Social housing tenants stand to benefit from better quality housing and have their complaints dealt with quicker under the government measures to increase inspections and drive-up competency amongst staff. The Social Housing Regulation Bill (the Bill) was introduced into Parliament earlier this…
Legal Article
09/12/22
The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 fundamentally changes housing law in Wales and was bought into force on 1st December 2022. The legislation changes how landlords in Wales will have to operate and is intended to simplify how properties are rented. The Act changes the game for almost all landlord and…
Legal Article
08/12/22
Flexible working remains the right to request, not to have The Government has recently published their response to the Consultation on Making Flexible Working the Default, which closed around 12 months ago. Key takeaways, which are a must for HR professionals and managers to be aware of, are…
Legal Article
24/11/22
Following the passing of the economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022 (the Act), the Register of Overseas Entities (ROE) was created which is maintained by Companies House, and from 1st August 2022 any overseas entity that own or intends to acquire UK property, will be required to be…
Legal Article
15/11/22
As the cost of living continues to rise, the pressures that employees face can feel insurmountable. It is key that employers prioritise ways in which they can support their employees through this time. This is especially important as we enter the winter months, as household bills rise, and budgets…
Legal Article
20/10/22
Many significant developments regarding fire and building safety have occurred in recent years . The construction industry has kept busy trying to adhere to bills and legislative changes to avoid disputes. More guidance has landed now that the Courts have issued the long awaited first substantive…
Legal Article
18/10/22
It is estimated that 1 in 4 pregnancies in the UK end in loss during pregnancy or birth. Given this statistic and that a majority of people wanting to start or grow a family will be of working age, employers should be aware of the likelihood of their employees being affected by pregnancy or baby loss…
Forbes News
26/09/22
There has been a growing consensus of late, coming from local planning authorities on the peculiarities surrounding Natural England, stating that development in a variety of catchment areas is unable to proceed if it increases its levels of nutrients. Rather, in order for a development to proceed, it…
Legal Article
21/09/22
The Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) is conducting a review on the trends and tax implications of hybrid and distance working in the UK and across borders. The focus of the review is to look at changes in practice and any emerging trends away from the 'traditional' way of working. From…
Legal Article
21/09/22
A suspension occurs when an employer tells an employee to stop carrying out work temporarily, and Acas has recently published new advice on how to approach this ( https://www.acas.org.uk/suspension-during-an-investigation; https://www.acas.org.uk/acas-publishes-new-advice-on-staff-suspensions-at-work…
Legal Article
21/09/22
The current Energy Crisis has meant that energy price caps are expected to rise to 82% by October. The increased pressures of living costs in the United Kingdom has led to a push for solar panel adoption. A solar panel array is a cheaper and efficient form of energy production, with sustainable benefits…
Legal Article
16/08/22
At present tenants who have a grievance with their landlord must follow a three step complaints process as follows: · The tenant must first report the problem or complaint to their landlord, the landlord will then consider the tenant's report and take any steps possible to remedy the…
Legal Article
16/08/22
In July 2022, the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) published their report titled 'Menopause and the workplace'. The report emphasises the important topic of menopause, how it affects those who suffer from its symptoms and the impact this has on the workplace. With 4.5…
Legal Article
16/08/22
Following the Grenfell Tower Disaster in June 2017, The Building Safety Act 2022, compromising of 6 parts, received Royal Assent this April creating provisions for the standards of buildings and the safety of people in or about buildings. The reform amends previous legislation such as the…
Legal Article
25/07/22
The recent record-breaking temperatures and the first ever red heatwave warning from the Met Office has led to calls from some MPs and unions for legislation to be introduced to put a limit on workplace temperatures to 30 degrees, or 27 degrees for workers doing strenuous work. There has also been calls…
Legal Article
25/07/22
Decision The Supreme Court has ratified the decisions of the Employment Appeals Tribunal and the Court of Appeal in dismissing the case of Harpur Trust. This means that workers who do not work throughout the entire year are entitled to 5.6 weeks paid leave each year, rather than a pro-rated…
Legal Article
25/07/22
The guidance was first published in 2014 and relates to the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 (ASBCPA), which provides police, local authorities and social housing providers with a range of tools and powers to respond quickly to anti-social behaviour (ASB) and to ensure victims have a…
Legal Article
28/06/22
The Renters Reform Bill is shortly due to receive royal assent, the Bill aims to 'level up' the private rented sector, ensuring that the percentage of none-decent homes is greatly reduced, tenants are protected against the rising cost of living and the balance of power between landlords and…
Forbes News
23/06/22
At a recent Centre for Cities event in Manchester, there was a focus on innovation and regeneration in the North to maximise growth and productivity. It brought together academics, politicians and professionals from a vast array of disciplines such as law, banking, insurance and universities. Lord…
Legal Article
14/06/22
In March 2020, following the Grenfell tragedy in June 2017, the Fire Safety Bill was introduced into Parliament. The Fire Safety Act 2021 set out to demolish any previous loopholes from the previous Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order Act 2005 (FSO). It provides significant development on the issue…
Legal Article
05/04/22
Back in November 2020, the government published the Social Housing White Paper which set out proposals to drive up standards and improve the regulation of the social housing sector in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire. One of the proposals related to introducing a new access to information scheme…
Legal Article
30/03/22
The case of Clarion Housing Association Limited v Carter [2021] EWHC 2890 [QB] involved an unsuccessful appeal brought by Clarion against the County Court's decision to dismiss their possession claim. Clarion issued possession proceedings against the deceased tenant's daughter Ms Carter, who…
Forbes News
15/03/22
A tenant with a history of nuisance behaviour including loud music, arguing, shouting and slamming doors, diy at unsociable hours, excessive visitors and obnoxious smells from cannabis demonstrably improved their behaviour when faced with injunction proceedings over a 4 month period. An undertaking was…
Legal Article
24/02/22
Aside from the provision of routine advice to our clients, the Employment team at Forbes has significant experience in working with housing associations on specific projects, including running grievance and disciplinary investigations, and advising on each stage throughout restructures. We also support…
Forbes News
24/02/22
The government has recently published its flagship Levelling Up White Paper, a plan which sets out 12 "missions" that the government will aim to achieve by 2030. The most relevant mission affecting the housing sector is "By 2030, renters will have a secure path to ownership with the…
Legal Article
24/02/22
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has recently received an Enforcement Notice from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) following a substantial backlog of subject access requests described by the ICO as being of "significant concern". The ICO has found that the MoJ failed to adequately…
Legal Article
24/02/22
In December the Government published their Social Care White Paper which sets out the Government's plans to address adult social care issues over the next 10 years. A key component is to plunge "at least" £300m into supported housing between 2022 and 2026, at a time when "we do…
Legal Article
24/02/22
Early intervention is key to tackling Anti-Social Behaviour. As practitioners, it is important that we explore and have access to the full range of options before considering legal enforcement action. Mediation is undoubtedly one of these options however, the timing of referrals is critical to achieving…
Legal Article
24/02/22
Burn v Alder Hey Children's NHS Hospital saw a claim brought by an employee seeking an injunction preventing her employer moving forward with the disciplinary process she was subject to, until an issue of disclosure was dealt with. The claimant considered that a contractual right to see correspondence…
Legal Article
24/02/22
In January Michael Gove gave a fully funded plan of action to allegedly 'fix' the cladding crisis. Gove warned the residential property developer industry that he will take all steps necessary to make it happen, including imposing legal solutions, to make developers pay. The Government also…
Legal Article
10/02/22
Rebecca Webster of Forbes Solicitors' ASB Team has been successful in obtaining an interim anti-social behaviour injunction with a positive requirement relating to access into the property of a tenant of a large social landlord in the Midlands. Anti-social behaviour included an unprovoked violent…
