Initiating Legal Action in Rent Arrears Cases under The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014

Description

Dealing with tenants who are in rent arrears is a challenging issue for local authorities. In the current environment with increasing demands on housing lists, local authority staff are under increasing pressure to handle cases in rent arrears quickly and efficiently.

Housing Officers go to great lengths to address cases where tenants are in rent arrears. However, in a number of cases, non-legal measures fail and housing officers have no option but to take steps to terminate the tenancy. At times this is the only viable option available to the housing authority.

The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 has changed the landscape, incorporating fair procedure principles putting them on a statutory footing. This will mean that steps and procedures under the Act must now be followed before initiating legal proceedings for possession.

What you will learn

This intensive two day experiential in-house legal training course will cover what a local authority must now do under Part 2 of the Act in order to terminate a tenancy in cases of rent arrears.

Housing officers and all local authority staff who have to deal with termination of tenancies dealing with cases in rent arrears in rented accommodation will greatly benefit from this training.

Course Module 1

This day will examine the processes and procedural steps that must be followed together with the evidence required under Part 2 of the 2014 Act to terminate a tenancy.

In particular, it will look at the level of investigation and evidence required, and the statutory notices and proofs that will be essential to succeed in an application for possession under the 2014 Act.

Course Module 2

The follow-on day will cover the procedures in court when an application for a termination of tenancy is brought under Part 2 of the Act. It will cover the procedures in court on the day and likely challenges to the application

Course attendees should note that they will be asked to provide a case study (not a live case) prior to course commencement, for use at the course.