Social Housing

Ashfords' Social Housing Team is recognised as a key player nationally in the housing market offering a wide range of legal services to an ever-growing client base, including local authorities, housing associations and other social landlords. Our solicitors are able to provide sound practical advice to meet all the clients' needs in social housing.

Our work is varied and our experience of dealing with social landlords in addition to the private sector has enabled us to acquire a critical mass in terms of size and to cement our position as a key player in the housing market in the public and private sectors. We have the experience and capacity to handle all aspects of tenant management work in addition to the wider pure property related disputes.

Our experience in the housing sector is extensive. Our housing clients range from small social housing clients to large local authorities and ALMOs including the London Borough of Wandsworth, the London Borough of Southwark and Hounslow Homes Ltd. We are also one of four panel solicitors appointed by the East Midlands Consortium which comprises a group of 32 local authorities/police authorities.

The Housing Team frequently provides training to Clients on developing legal issues and matters which are of importance to Clients.

Work handled includes:

Tenant Management

• injunctions, including anti-social behaviour injunctions and gas safety injunctions;
• possession proceedings;
• homeless reviews;
• anti social behaviour orders;
• debt recovery;
• disrepair claims;
• trespass claims;
• advice on tenancy agreements;
• abandoned goods; and
  
• rent review notices and procedures.

• site acquisitions and sales;
• right to buy;
• lease renewals;
• planning and development issues including section 106 agreements;
• construction contracts/warranties/bonds/partnering structures;
• leasehold enfranchisement;
• land tribunal applications;
• service charge disputes;
• leasehold valuation tribunal issues/applications;
• mediation;
• occupiers liability issues;
• advice on asbestos;
• disability Discrimination Act advice;
• adjudication;
• advice on Beacon Status/achieving the Decent Homes Standard; and
  
• easements and restrictive covenants.

• funding;
• secured loans;
• structured and leveraged property and construction financings; and
  
• restructuring arrangements.

• outsourcing and TUPE related matters;
• negotiations with Trade Unions;
• sex, race and disability discrimination;
• unfair dismissal and breach of contract claims;
• working time regulations;
• collective consultation obligations;
• policy drafting and implementation; and
  
• reorganisations and redundancies.

• acting for the London Boroughs and Southwark in a variety of contentious matters arising from the management of the Council’s property interests, including commercial lease renewals, forfeiture claims, commercial rent recovery, breach of covenant claims and related contentious property issues;
• reported Court of Appeal cases Adel William v LB Wandsworth [2006]EWCA Civ 535; LB Wandsworth v GE Randall [2007]EWCA Civ 1126;
• advising on a substantial numbers of ASB cases for Housing Associations; and
  
• undertaking property and development work for Associations.