HJ Talks About Social Housing

Decanting and access for repairs

In this 10-minute podcast, we consider best practice to obtain access for repairs and situations where you should be decanting tenants. What can you do when an aggrieved tenant refuses access to carry out an essential repair or refuses to move for substantial works to be undertaken? To help you understand when you should consider decanting a tenant, and your rights if a tenant refuses access for repairs, Eleanor Walters and Michaela Smeaton, Solicitors in the Housing Management team discuss the legal position. Find out more about our podcast channel, here [https://www.hughjames.com/hj-talks-about-social-housing-podcast].

Holding AGMs virtually

COVID-19 has presented organisations with unique and unprecedented challenges, including how to comply with the obligation to hold an AGM. The UK Government introduced legislation which temporarily allows organisations to hold virtual AGMs to better accommodate social distancing rules. This podcast by Sarah Jones-Howells will give an overview of the key considerations organisations should keep in mind when holding a virtual AGM, together with practical hints and tips to ensure that these meetings are conducted as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Find out more about our podcast channel, here [https://www.hughjames.com/hj-talks-about-social-housing-podcast].

The affordability of capital works for leaseholders in challenging times

When significant capital works are required to a development, this can come at considerable cost to leaseholders. Over the course of the implementation of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard and the Decent Homes Standard over the past 20 years social landlords have become adept at finding creative ways of making service charge costs affordable. Robert Phillips of our Property Litigation Team and Rebecca Rees of our property litigation and housing management teams look at whether the time is right for social landlords to consider whether there is a better way of managing service charges in the future to keep charges at a consistent level and avoid spikes when significant works are done. Find out more about our podcast channel, here [https://www.hughjames.com/hj-talks-about-social-housing-podcast].

The growing problem with Japanese Knotweed

Since the court determined in 2017 that a landowner has a duty to its neighbours to deal with Japanese Knotweed growth, there has been a “growing” awareness of it as a problem for landowners, and accompanying that a growing industry of specialists and firms pursuing claims in respect of it. Where land is affected by Japanese Knotweed, it can lead to problems selling and remortgaging property and ultimately there are concerns about the physical damage it can do. Robert Phillips [https://www.hughjames.com/our-people/robert-phillips] of our Property Litigation [https://www.hughjames.com/service/dispute-resolution/property-dispute-resolution] team and Rebecca Rees [https://www.hughjames.com/our-people/rebecca-rees] of our Property and Housing Management [https://www.hughjames.com/service/dispute-resolution/housing-management] team discuss what circumstances will lead to a landowner becoming liable for compensation and what steps should be taken if it becomes apparent that the weed is growing on land it is responsible for. Find out more about our podcast channel, here [https://www.hughjames.com/hj-talks-about-social-housing-podcast].

GDPR and remote working

As many housing associations have risen to the challenge of remote working in 2020, managers are needing to address the unique challenges that this involves. In this podcast Eleanor Bamber [https://www.hughjames.com/our-people/eleanor-bamber], Senior Associate, and Sali Owens [https://www.hughjames.com/our-people/sali-gwen-owens], Solicitor in our Employment and HR Services [https://www.hughjames.com/service/employment] team take a practical approach, discussing the data protection issues involved in this way of working as well as the appropriate steps required to monitor productivity and manage from afar. Their conversation can help your organisation identify where its vulnerabilities lie and take early action to ensure this new way of working remains effective and secure. Useful links ICO’s “top tips” for working from home [%20https%3A/ico.org.uk/for-organisations/working-from-home/] and Good data protection practice [%20https%3A/www.gov.uk/government/publications/data-protection-impact-assessments-for-surveillance-cameras] and the template DPIA referred to in the CCTV section (produced jointly by the ICO and the Surveillance Camera Commissioner). Find out more about our podcast channel, here [https://www.hughjames.com/hj-talks-about-social-housing-podcast].