Legal

A local judge ordered an estate agent to return a tenant’s holding deposit once the agent decided not to proceed with the tenancy.  Housing Rights represented the tenant at small claims court.

Applicants who wish to review or appeal a negative homelessness decision must observe certain time limits.  These limits are set out in the Housing (Northern Ireland) Order 1988 (as amended). Carmel Ferguson, solicitor with Housing Rights Service, discusses our recent successful case at the High Court, where we were granted leave to lodge an appeal outside of these time limits.

Supreme Court judges have criticised the benefit cap.  The Supreme Court found that the policy failed to comply with Article 3 (1) of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.  This article provides that “in all actions concerning children … the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration”. 

An important question to be considered in respect of landlord and tenant law is whether a landlord can seek recovery of all the rent due under a tenancy i.e the remaining fixed term period, when a tenancy is brought to an end early.  As solicitor Chris McGrath explains, the landlord’s right to unpaid rent depends on how the tenancy ended.