Housing Management & Property Litigation Brief - Wales
Issue 7
Lee Russell
Partner
020 7880 4424
Welcome
Welcome to the latest edition of our HMPL Brief Wales, which has a fresh new look!
It’s hard to believe that it has almost been a year since Mark and I became joint heads of the HMPL team. It has absolutely flown by in a flurry of events and client instructions as well as a wave of legal and regulatory developments that will have a significant impact on the sector. We are also delighted to welcome two new partners to our ever-expanding team, Aoife Murphy and Mandeep Sahota. They bring with them a raft of skills to further broaden our expertise and management team.
Awaab’s Law is now in force, introducing strict deadlines for social landlords to investigate and remedy damp, mould, and emergency hazards. This landmark change applies across England and Wales and marks a new era of enforceable tenant safety standards, which the sector is adapting to meet.
Whilst the Renters’ Rights Act focuses primarily on England, it does include a number of provisions relevant to Wales — including a ban on discriminatory practices against tenants with children or those receiving benefits. We await news of further reforms that could be introduced to match protections seen elsewhere.
The Building Safety (Wales) Bill, now in Senedd scrutiny, proposes a new safety regime for multi-occupied residential buildings and we are following its progress carefully as it is likely to have a hugely significant impact on the sector when it comes into force.
In addition, on 27 January the Government released a significant package of leasehold reform measures, including the publication of the long-awaited Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill and the open consultation on plans to ban leasehold for new flats. We will be front and centre to follow these changes and guide you through them.
We also bring you in this Brief the ever-popular insights into what our expanding team has been up to and we hope you also enjoy our ‘Spotlight On’ section about Megan in our Wales team. We also give you a brief glimpse into what our teams do (when they are not working on your cases!) in our ‘Out & About’ section including jointly hosting our annual Conference in Cardiff with Cornerstone Chambers which resulted in lively discussions on all things housing in Wales.
Happy reading!
Lee Russell
To receive updates on topics relevant to you, at a frequency of your choosing, please subscribe to Devonshires Insights.
Housing Management & Property Litigation Brief - Wales: Issue 7
Welcome - Lee Russell
Welcome to the latest edition of our HMPL Brief Wales, which has a fresh new look!
It’s hard to believe that it has almost been a year since Mark and I became joint heads of the HMPL team. It has absolutely flown by in a flurry of events and client instructions as well as a wave of legal and regulatory developments that will have a significant impact on the sector.
Awaab’s Law is now in force, introducing strict deadlines for social landlords to investigate and remedy damp, mould, and emergency hazards. This landmark change applies across England and Wales and marks a new era of enforceable tenant safety standards, which the sector is adapting to meet.
Whilst the Renters’ Rights Act focuses primarily on England, it does include a number of provisions relevant to Wales — including a ban on discriminatory practices against tenants with children or those receiving benefits. We await news of further reforms that could be introduced to match protections seen elsewhere.
The Building Safety (Wales) Bill, now in Senedd scrutiny, proposes a new safety regime for multi-occupied residential buildings and we are following its progress carefully as it is likely to have a hugely significant impact on the sector when it comes into force.
We also bring you in this Brief the ever-popular insights into what our expanding team has been up to and we hope you also enjoy our ‘Spotlight On’ section about Megan in our Wales team. We also give you a brief glimpse into what our teams do (when they are not working on your cases!) in our ‘Out & About’ section including jointly hosting our annual Conference in Cardiff with Cornerstone Chambers which resulted in lively discussions on all things housing in Wales.
Happy reading!
Lee Russell
To receive updates on topics relevant to you, at a frequency of your choosing, please subscribe to Devonshires Insights.
To receive more briefings and invitations from Devonshires, click here to join our mailing list.
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