Housing Condition Conference 2023
| The shocking death of a two-year-old child from prolonged exposure to mould in his family’s flat has thrust the condition of the nation’s rented and social housing into the media spotlight. The fall-out has shown how significant the issue is. In January 2023, Housing Ombudsman said that while the inquest has “focused the minds of the sector… we are continually finding in our casework that landlords have not responded to this issue with sufficient urgency”. The following month, the Regulator of Social Housing estimated 120,000 to 160,000 homes in England have “notable” issues with damp and mould. Of those, up to 80,000 are thought to have serious issues. As well as a keynote address from Rebecca Reed, from the Housing Ombudsman service, who explained their priorities and the ombudsman’s role in addressing disrepair, the conference looked at how changes to the CPR and how a new focus among legal regulators has put the onus on lawyers to take particular care when dealing with vulnerable clients – which those in social housing often are. During the day, we heard from specialist surveyors who outlined what practitioners need to know about mould, condensation and infestation, while both claimant and defendant lawyers on the frontline outlined their experience of this type of litigation. We also looked at the role of ADR as well as the interplay between housing litigation and recoverable costs. For more Legal Events visit our main events page. Speakers: Steve Cornforth Owner, Steve Cornforth Consultancy Jamie Paterson FRICS Managing Director, Paterson Associates Sean Mooney Owner, Kill Line Pest Control Gavin Spruin Repairs Team Leader, CEL Solicitors Matthew Wilson Partner, Clarke Willmott James Cliff Barrister, 7 Harrington St Chambers Giles Peaker Partner, Anthony Gold Rebecca Reed The Housing Ombudsman Peter Causton Barrister, 7 Harrington St Chamber Nick McDonnell Director, Kain Knight | “Excellent – will definitely attend next year.” Delegate “Brilliant conference – good opportunity to network.” Delegate
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| May 2022 PI Futures Conference 2022 | November 2022 Innovation Conference 2022 |
