Cases that revolve around capital rules and housing benefit can often be complicated. There's so much case law that it can be difficult to know where to start. One of my clients, Janine, was refused housing benefit because she was named on the deeds of a property which her former partner still lived in. This was a long and complex case and involved a lot of legal research.
Denise Callaghan has worked as an adviser with Housing Rights Service for several years. A key member of the Preventing Possession Initiative, Denise was Northern Ireland's first Duty Court Adviser for people at risk of repossession. Here, Denise talks through her experiences advising worried homeowners.
In a briefing to the Assembly’s Committee for Finance & Personnel on 5th June 2013, Housing Rights Service warned that proposed changes contained in the Department for Finance & Personnel (DFP)’s Review of Rates Liability for the Landlord Sector will not make much of a difference to our clients.
How do I deal with landlord repossessions? It very much depends on whether the landlord’s done what he or she is supposed to do!
If the landlord didn’t get the right permission from the mortgage lender or acted outside the terms in the mortgage agreement, your client could be in trouble.
Carmel Ferguson, solicitor and member of Housing Rights Service's Legal Team investigates how a recent Upper Tribunal hearing will impact locally. This widely reported case upheld a local authority's decision not to grant housing benefit to a homeless applicant. Could this set a worrying precedent that will impact on people in Northern Ireland?
We recently carried out an undercover survey of 40 NI based lettings agencies to find out more about the fees and charges that prospective tenants are forced to hand over before they can find rented accommodation.
Imagine you’re a private tenant, paying rent each month and confident that you’re doing everything that’s required of you. One day you open your post to find a final demand from Land & Property Services insisting that you pay £2000+ by the end of the month or face court. It’s particularly confusing when your tenancy agreement says your rent includes rates and your landlord’s responsible for paying these to LPS.
The Private Tenants Forum, a group of tenants in private rented accommodation who have come together to campaign for better conditions, has responded to the Department of Finance & Personnel's recent consultation on a review of rates liability in the landlord sector.
Last year Alison came to Housing Rights Service for help. She was being threatened with bankruptcy over rates arrears of almost £7000. I took on her case and here's what happened.
