Housing Advice
What help can we offer you?
Our specialist Housing advisors provide a Countywide comprehensive casework service and representation at County Court for housing hearings.
We hold a Legal Aid Contract which enables us to provide housing advice to individuals who qualify for Legal Aid. We will complete the application for Legal Aid for you, but to enable us to do so, we will ask you to provide evidence of your income and capital, and that of your partner if you have one. We do this before we take your case on so we are confident we are able to provide the service you need. If you are in receipt of Universal Credit and/or other benefits or on a low income it is likely that you will be eligible for Legal Aid funding. We will assess your eligibility when we speak to you to book an appointment, but more information about the criteria is available here.
We offer advice to tenants and home owners about a wide range of housing matters including:
- Housing Repossession Proceedings
- Eviction Proceedings
- Homelessness
- Rent and Mortgage Arrears
- Disrepair
- Introductory Tenancies
- Anti Social Behaviour Proceedings
Our Housing
Advice Service
is Free,
Independent
and Confidential
Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service
This scheme provides:
- Early Legal Advice – on housing, debt and welfare benefits issues to those at risk of possession proceedings and loss of their home; and/or
- On the day emergency advice and representation at court to those with a listed possession hearing
Individuals who require this above service do not need to meet legal aid financial eligibility rules as the service is means free but they will be required to show evidence that they are at risk of losing of their home.
Courts we work at:
- Milton Keynes County Court – Mondays
- Northampton County Court – Tuesdays (rent cases) and Wednesday (mortgage cases)
- Peterborough County Court – Wednesdays (rent and mortgage cases)
How can you access this service?
You can be referred to us by an organisation that is already supporting you. Or visit our offices,
Appointments with our specialist advisors are available at our offices in Northampton and Wellingborough. We also have outreach offices at the premises of the Citizens Advice services in Corby and Kettering and ENcompass, Rushden.
If your problem is urgent, we will try to see you before any deadlines that you must meet. For non-urgent problems, demand for our service may sometimes mean that you have to wait up to 3 weeks for an appointment.
For more information contact: enquiries@communitylawservice.org.uk or telephone 01604 621038
In 2023-24 we provided specialist housing advice for 1433 people including representation for 1116 repossession and eviction hearings at the count court.
“I wouldn’t have managed at the court without your help and because of your support I have been able to keep my home. Thank you so much for such a professional service.”
Case Study
H is a lone parent with three dependent children aged 8, 5, and 4. They are living on Universal credit including the housing element. H is an assured shorthold tenant which began by way of a six-month tenancy on 18th January 2021. It had continued as an assured periodic tenancy to date. Rent is £825 per calendar month. There were no rent arrears.
H sought advice because they had received a Form 6A Section 21 Notice dated 9th September 2023. The Section 21 had since expired and court proceedings were issued by the Landlord for recovery of the property. A possession hearing was listed at Northampton County Court.
Advice Provided
H was advised that because the tenancy had commenced after the Housing Deregulation Act 2015, the landlord had to service them with prescribed information with the Tenancy Agreement, this would include;
- How to rent guide
- A certificate to confirm that any deposit paid had been protected
- EPC certificate to confirm that electrics are in working order
- Gas safety certificate
The EPC and gas safety certificates should be given at the commencement of the tenancy or certainly before a Section 21 notice is served. If this is not done then the Landlord cannot issue possession proceedings under mandatory grounds by serving a Form 6A as it would be invalid.
Outcome
The Court ordered that by reason of the Housing Deregulation Act 2015, the landlord had failed to comply with the Law and for this reason the claim for possession was struck out. H was allowed to remain in the property.
Our Services
Enquiries
For general enquires, please contact us on:
Northampton, Daventry,Towcester, Brackley
and surrounding areas
North Northamptonshire
01933 313020
Wellingborough, Kettering, Corby, East Northamptonshire and surrounding area
