The Localism Act 2011 included far-reaching changes to social housing tenancy rights and homelessness and allocations law which no housing professional can afford to ignore.

The changes to social housing tenancy rights and Tenancy Deposit Protection Schemes came into force in April 2012, and the guidance regarding the changes to homelessness and allocations are expected any day.

More than 400 delegates have attended seminars at our city centre venues, and around 50 in-house courses booked to deliver training to groups of staff on their own premises.

If you haven’t yet attended a seminar, book now to get to grips with what the changes will mean, and to explore the implications for current and new social housing applicants/tenants.

Our seminars are run by a number of our experienced housing trainers - see the bottom of this page for details.

'Excellent explanation and delivery of information in a very difficult subject' (Housing Supervisor, Wirral CAB).

Key aims

• Explain the changes to existing law and look at new developments.
• Evaluate the housing provisions of the act in the context of wider legal and social policy developments, including benefit reform and human rights law.

Content

• New fixed term ‘flexible tenancies’ in council housing - the end of a ‘tenancy for life’?
• Implications for existing secure and assured tenants.
• Decisions not to renew flexible tenancies and possession proceedings– issues under Articles 6 and 8, European Convention on Human Rights.
• ‘Affordable rent’ tenancies.
• Changes to succession for secure and assured tenancies.
• Homelessness:
  - When can a council discharge the full homeless housing duty by offering accommodation in the private rented sector?
  - What legal controls are there over such offers of accommodation?
  - When will the duty revive?
• Termination of the homelessness duty by acceptance of an offer of long term temporary accommodation.
• Housing allocations – new powers to refuse access to the housing list.
• The new local authority duty to publish a tenancy strategy – how it relates to other strategic duties.
• Complaints to the Housing Ombudsman – new rules on how to complain and enforcement of determinations.

Suitable for

This is an area of the law which no adviser or housing officer can afford to ignore.

It is essential that those advising landlords and tenants, housing authorities and housing applicants can give practical and proper advice on what the new law will mean.

Housing advisers, housing solicitors, temporary accommodation managers and RSL and local authority housing officers should consider this seminar essential.

Meet the trainers

Ian Dunn (London, 18 June)

Ian has worked for Shelter as a trainer and consultant since 2004. He has been working and training in housing law for 14 years.

As well as lecturing in social welfare law at the University of Westminster he has many years’ experience working with housing associations and local authorities providing tailored courses.

Enquiry line

Please call 0344 515 1155 or email training@shelter.org.uk

In-house training

We can also run this course in-house. Find out more about in-house training