Housing Law Handbook: A Practical Guide

The Housing Law Handbook, now in its third edition, remains an essential first point of reference for busy lawyers, advisers and professionals working across the housing sector, including social housing. Providing clear and practical guidance, this edition is published on the heels of the enactment of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, the most important piece of legislation in this area in the last 30 years.

To guide you through housing law, the book:

• explains the huge changes made by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025
• provides a detailed account of homelessness rights, duties and powers and the rules governing the allocation of social housing
• provides a comprehensive guide to possession proceedings from start to finish, including mortgage repossessions, subletting, notice requirements, benefits in housing, unlawful evictions, succession, deposits, and injunctions for anti-social behaviour
• explains the law where the immigration status of the person seeking accommodation precludes or restricts the provision of accommodation by a local housing authority, and deals with other routes into housing under the Children Act 1989 and under the Care Act 2014
• summarises the law on housing conditions under Part 1 of the Housing Act 2004, on licensing of houses in multiple occupation, on selective licensing, and deals with recent developments in relation to rent repayment orders
• explains Awaab’s Law, and the different contractual remedies for defective housing.

This edition equips practitioners with indispensable knowledge needed to navigate an increasingly complex area of law.

The authors are members of Garden Court Chambers, a multi-disciplinary set of barristers with a reputation for excellence whose housing team is one of the largest in the country.

Stephen Cottle and fellow contributors Matthew Ahluwalia, Tim Baldwin, Adrian Berry KC, Ricky Blennerhassett, Liz Davies KC, Oscar Davies, Kevin Gannon, Tim Jones, Adrian Marshall Williams, Georgie Rea, Desmond Rutledge and Marina Sergides are able to pass on considerable expertise and first-hand knowledge having regularly argued the subjects they cover. The Garden Court Chambers housing team is ranked in Band 1 by Chambers and Partners for 2025 and Tier 1 in The Legal 500 2026 Bar Guide.