NEW 'LAW WATCH' VIDEO FOR APRIL

I have awoken. 'Law Watch' is back . If you care about cat poo, you should take a look. And there is more than just poo.

• On 1 May 2026 the law on private residential tenancies in England - old ones and new ones- is shaken up like never before as the first phase of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 comes into force. I cover some early obligations for landlords to satisfy and some time limits to watch.
• How leaseholders may be able to escape service charge hits for major works arising out of pre-existing faults.
• A new residential code of practice that could aid leaseholders in service charge disputes.
• Employment law changes on paternity and parental leave and increases in unfair dismissal etc compensation  and redundancy payment limits.
• How you may be spied on after a personal injury claim.

For the video, click below and click here for your free fact sheet.

RENT OUT IN FUTURE? LATEST VIDEO ON NEW LAW

Catch up with ease on the latest law through my December 'Law Watch' video. There's my take on the dilemma facing private landlords. Do they take steps to obtain possession of the dwellings they have rented out before a major part of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 comes into force on 01 May 2026 - or not? And there's my take on 

• changes in referring disputes with a past or present employer to ACAS
• where we are with the class claim by Walter Merricks against Mastercard which could mean money in your pocket
• Fee increases in or pending at Companies House and the Intellectual Property Office and on registering powers of attorney and
• the new obligations of social landlords over dampness and emergencies in dwellings they have let and how they have strengthened the position of complaining tenants.

Just click below and watch, preferably while awake and / or download the accompanying Factsheet

'LAW WATCH' VIDEO GOES CPR CRAZY

My latest video is unfit for litigant in person consumption  but anyone can take a look.  It's about my pick of the latest Civil Procedure Rule amendments and Practice Direction 171. Some Fixed Recoverable Costs. Some Writs and Warrants of Possession. And a pinch of Brexit. Do click below.

NO-FAULT POSSESSIONS: LATEST

The Renters (Reform) Bill is due a second reading in the Commons today. But the abolition of section 21 no-fault possessions and the changes to the possession grounds which the Bill would introduce will have to wait some time for implementation. The government has announced that they will not be up and running until digital court improvements. If that is going to happen before the next general election then I am a banana (again).

LATEST FROM LAW WATCH: FREE VIDEO UPDATE

I cannot allow you any rest from the law. I'm back with an intestacy law change - the extended free housing advice scheme - and compulsory purchase home loss compensation limit increases. Painless and fast.  Just click below.

LATEST LAW ON FREE VIDEO

Interest on compensation for special losses in personal injury cases - up again!

The proposed legislation on private rentals in England. Should landlords get out?

New law to protect pregnant workers from being made redundant.

All by just clicking below.

FLEXIBLE TENANCY CHALLENGE: THE SUPREME COURT RULES.

The Supreme Court has now spoken in the matter of flexible tenancies (see my previous post here at https://www.breakinglaw.co.uk/search/label/flexible%20tenancies) and I warn you - it's a bit technical!  It has disagreed with the decisions reached by the lower courts.

The ruling is that a flexible tenancy landlord can take steps to terminate the tenancy early (before its fixed period has come to an end) on the basis of some default by the tenant provided that the tenancy agreement contains a forfeiture clause. In deciding whether there was a forfeiture clause, regard would be had to the substance of the words used rather than their form. The standard flexible tenancy agreement used by Croydon Council which was the landlord in the case did contain provisions which amounted to forfeiture clauses and the same standard agreement has been used by most -if not all - of the local authorities who between 2014 and 2018 granted an estimated 30,000 flexible tenancies. 

The Supreme Court also ruled that where a flexible tenancy agreement contained a break clause and no fault was being alleged against the tenant, then, provided the conditions for its exercise were satisfied, the landlord could take steps to exercise it and obtain possession before the end of the fixed term  This would be appropriate, for example, where possession was required so that the let property could be redeveloped.

Without a break clause (where no tenant fault) or forfeiture clause (tenant fault), the landlord looking to oust their flexible tenant will be stymied.  

LATEST LAW ON VIDEO - AND IT'S FREE!

It shouldn't be painful. Pour a cup of coffee and take a look at my January video on the latest law. If you don't like it, you can always throw the cup contents at the screen. Clean afterwards with non-chemical liquid.

REPOSSESSIONS: TEMPORARY CORONAVIRUS PROCEDURES EXTENDED

Temporary procedures were introduced for county court repossession cases to cater for the consequences of the pandemic. They included listing cases for a review hearing before any final hearing to investigate whether the parties could reach a settlement. These procedures were due to lapse in their entirety on 30 November 2021 (see https://www.breakinglaw.co.uk/2021/10/home-repossessions-review-hearings-to.html)

That has been reconsidered (see Civil Procedure Rules 1998 Update 137). The procedures will continue to apply in relation to claims started before 01 December 2021, subject to one matter. The temporary  requirement  (see paragraphs 6.1 and 6.2 of Civil Procedure Rules 1998 Practice Direction 52C - well you did ask!) that claimants are to notify with the claim form and in another form taken to court what they know about the effect of the pandemic on the defendant is to continue until 30 June 2022.