Legal action may happen

July 20, 2015

Legal action may be the only way  forward for  Housing Associations if the Government extends right to buy to their tenants, said the former head of the Civil Service.

Sir Bob Kerslake, the chair of Peabody Housing and secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government reportedly said  “We haven’t ruled out the possibility of legal action.” He also mentioned that in London where the housing crisis is most critical, the government should ringfence the right to buy receipts to build homes or decouple the forced sales of council owned assets.

Local authorities would have to sell off their most expensive council homes to fund the extension further diminishing social-housing stock.

Deputy mayor for housing Rick Blakeway reportedly said that between 2,000 to 6,000 Housing Association tenants would be likely to use their right to buy every year, he added  that if right to buy cash were to be retained in the capital, two homes  with a mix of social and affordable rents for every one sold could be built in London.

Labour has tabled an amendment to the charities bill that would pave the way for a prolonged parliamentary battle over one of the Conservatives most controversial policies, this move will have the support from a cross party group of peers which will include Lord Kerslake who is a crossbencher.

The Tory plans of extending of the right-to-buy to housing asssociation tenants appears to be far away from any conclusion and as opposition grows looks more and more likely not to happen.

 

 

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Breaking Property News 3/6/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor launches shared vision to become a top-10 global innovation cluster Later today, at a major science and innovation conference hosted by Bidwells at Westminster’s QEII Centre, the Chancellor, Science Minister Lord Vallance and Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook will set out a…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

Refurbishment budget requirements approach £86,000

Jonathan Samuels, CEO of specialist lender, Octane Capital, believes that whilst refurbishment projects continue to offer some of the strongest value-add opportunities within the property market, investors must ensure they budget appropriately from the outset, with contingency planning often proving the difference between a successful project and one that stalls before completion. Octane Capital analysed average…
Read More →
Letting Agent Talk

Renting for Life: Six in Ten Tenants are Staying Longer Than They Ever Planned

Six in ten tenants across England and Wales are renting for longer than they ever planned to, according to new research from LRG. The Spring 2026 Lettings Report, which draws on responses from 650 landlords and tenants, found that 40% say they have been in the rental market for much longer than they expected, with…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

Keep Your Move on Track: Reducing the Risk of a Fall Through

Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest financial commitments most people will ever make. Unfortunately, not every agreed sale reaches completion. When a transaction collapses before contracts are exchanged, it is known as a “fall through”. Fall-throughs can be costly, causing delays, financial losses, and significant stress for everyone involved. Buyers may…
Read More →
to let sign 2025
Breaking News

London rents up just 0.7% since RRA became law

The latest research from London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has revealed that rental growth across London has remained consistent since the Renters’ Rights Act received Royal Assent, with rents increasing by just 0.7% since, the same rate of growth seen during the equivalent period prior to October of last year. In fact,…
Read More →
Letting Agent Talk

Will RRA mean almost 50% of renters need a guarantor?

A surge in tenants who require a rent guarantor is coming to the post-RRA rental market   New analysis by Zero Deposit reveals that the proportion of local authority districts in which the average tenant is likely to need a rent guarantor to secure pass tenancy affordability checks could increase from one-in-five to almost one-in-two…
Read More →