The applicant had defended an action for possession for arrears of rent, and counterclaimed for damages for failure to repair. A compromise was put to the court, and the court took that as consent and made a possession order. The tenant appealed. Held: The court had not had jurisdiction to make the possession order and … Continue reading Gil v Baygreen Properties Ltd: CA 5 Jul 2002

Parties appealed decisions as whether assured shorthold tenancy notices were valid despite errors. Held: If, notwithstanding errors or omissions, the substance of the notice was sufficiently clear to the reasonable person reading it, then the notice was likely to serve the purpose, and it could be valid. There was not a two stage test of … Continue reading Ravenseft Properties Ltd v Hall; White v Chubb; similar: CA 19 Dec 2001

The respondent appealed against an order for possession made on the grounds that he had been convicted of breach of an order under the 1997 Act in harassing his daughter who lived nearby the premises. The tenant argued that the agreement had incorporated a version of the Housing Act before its amendment to allow possession … Continue reading North British Housing Association Ltd v Sheridan: CA 29 Jul 1999

Citations: [2018] EWHC 2454 (QB) Links: Bailii Statutes: Housing Act 1988 21(1B) Jurisdiction: England and Wales Housing, Landlord and Tenant Updated: 29 May 2022; Ref: scu.625533

An occupant of a hostel for homeless and vulnerable single men had only a licence to occupy the room, and was not a tenant. There was a resident warden and a team of support workers. The intention was that residents should use the hostel as a temporary base as part of their rehabilitation. Held: An … Continue reading Westminster City Council v Clarke: HL 29 Apr 1992

The tenant sought to request the Committee to fix his rent. He sent the application, but it was not received before it came into effect. He appealed a rejection of his claim as out of time. Held: The regulation required the rent to be referred to the committee before the new rent came into effect. … Continue reading Regina (Lester) v London Rent Assessment Committee: QBD 7 Nov 2002

A tenant held a protected tenancy of one room in a house, but later extended his occupation to the entire floor. Held: He did not thereby lose his status as protected tenant, and it did not operate as a surrender of the existing tenancy. The section protected the continuing tenancy because it referred to a … Continue reading Rajah v Arogol Co Ltd: CA 13 Apr 2001

One of two joint tenants under a tenancy protected under the Act, had left the property to get married and did not intend to return. The remaining tenant stayed until the end of the tenancy. The landlord claimed possession, arguing that the remaining tenant was not a statutory tenant protected by the statute because she … Continue reading Lloyd v Sadler: CA 1978

Protection was sought under the 1954 Act for premises where the relevant occupation was partly residential and partly for the purposes of a business. Held: The Act will apply so long as the business activity is a significant purpose of occupation. It must be more than incidental. The business occupation must exist both at the … Continue reading Cheryl Investments v Saldanha: CA 1978

The presence of cooking facilities is an essential element in deciding whether premises could constitute a dwelling. Accordingly, a room in a hotel without such facilities could not be subject to an assured tenancy. A room with cooking facilities and access to a bathroom could be a dwelling, but the sharing of cooking facilities denied … Continue reading Uratemp Ventures Ltd v Collins, Same v Carell: CA 10 Dec 1999

A Mr Ludovici in 1977 took an assignment of the residue of a lease granted in 1953 which had some 5 months to run. He agreed to do works in return for which he would be granted a fresh lease. This was later assigned to Mr Hemmings. Held: He was neither the tenant under the … Continue reading Trustees of Henry Smiths Charity v Hemmings: 1982

Mr Fielder and Miss Maxwell together applied to take a self-contained flat. Each signed an agreement to pay andpound;54.17 per month to share the use of the flat with one other person. The couple moved into the flat and enjoyed exclusive occupation. In terms if the couple parted and Mr Fielder moved out or his … Continue reading Aldrington Garages Ltd v Fielder: 1978

The council granted what it called a licence to the applicant. He was one of their employee teachers, and they wanted to supply accomodation. They appealed refusal of possession on the basis that he had become a secure tenant under the Act. It had been intended that the accomodation should be shared. Held: It was … Continue reading Parkins v City of Westminster: CA 20 Nov 1997

Because of fungus, mould growth and dampness, the tenant’s council house was virtually unfit for human habitation in the winter when the condensation was at its worst. Section 32(1) of the 1961 Act implied in the tenancy a covenant by the council to keep in repair the structure and exterior of the dwelling-house. Section 32(3) … Continue reading Quick v Taff Ely Borough Council: CA 1986

UTLC LANDLORD AND TENANT – RENT DETERMINATION – assured periodic tenancy – whether agreement provided for contractual rent review and so precluded reference of proposed new rent to tribunal – whether mere statement of tenants’ rights – ss 13-14, Housing Act 1988 – appeal dismissed [2016] UKUT 405 (LC) Bailii England and Wales Landlord and … Continue reading Chouhan v The Earls High School: UTLC 15 Sep 2016

A failure by a landlord under the pre-1996 assured shorthold tenancy regime, to insert the correct tenancy dates in a shorthold notice, meant that the tenancy became an assured tenancy, since the arrangement failed to meet the requirements to create a shorthold tenancy. The divisional court had decided that the landlord’s possession action had failed, … Continue reading Clickex Ltd v McCann: CA 26 May 1999

The tenant appealed against a decision that a deed he had entered into with the claimant did not operate to give him the status of a protected or statutory tenancy. Held: The tenant had had a full Rent Act tenancy. The Board claimed possession. There had been a compromise under which he left possession for … Continue reading Truro Diocesan Board of Finance Ltd v Foley: CA 22 Oct 2008

When a licence is really a tenancy The document signed by the occupier stated that she understood that she had been given a licence, and that she understood that she had not been granted a tenancy protected under the Rent Acts. Exclusive occupation was in fact granted. Held: This was a tenancy not a licence. … Continue reading Street v Mountford: HL 6 Mar 1985

The tenant under a long lease appealed against a rent assessment which increased the amount payable to a level where she lost her security of tenure. She said that 17 year old improvements she had made should not have been taken into account. Held: The words of the Act were clear and the value of … Continue reading Hughes v Borodex Ltd: Admn 25 Mar 2009

The Trust appealed against refusal of an order for possession against its periodic assured tenant. The grounds were 14 (nuisance or annoyance), and 14A (domestic violence). The judge had found that the violence complained of occurred only after the tenant had moved out of the property and ceased before his return. The judge found no … Continue reading Metropolitan Housing Trust v Hadjazi: CA 1 Jul 2010

The claimant appealed against refusal of a summary order for possession of the defendant tenant’s house for arrears of rent. The arrears arose through delay in payment of Housing Benefit, and all arrears had been cleared by the hearing of the appeal. The claimant said that as a fully mutual housing co-operative, it was not … Continue reading Mexfield Housing Co-Operative Ltd v Berrisford: ChD 5 Oct 2009

Possessing Proceedings Notice Not a Rent Demand The landlord’s notice of proceedings for possession gave the agent’s address, but not that of the landlord. The parties disputed whether it was a demand for rent and its validity. Held: It was not a demand for rent, and did not require the landlord’s own name and address. … Continue reading Prempeh v Lakhany: CA 30 Oct 2020

The respondent was a mutual housing co-operative, and the claimant its tenant. The tenant kept a dog in the premises without the consent of the other tenants in breach of the terms of the lease. A notice to quit was served on him. His tenancy was . .