Social Housing

The social housing team supports and advises clients on matters including government and Regulator of Social Housing driven updates, legislation and requirements. 

Our highly regarded social housing team consists of over 40 expert lawyers who act for a broad range of national and regional RPs, local authorities, private housebuilders and funders on a wide range of issues affecting the sector.

The breadth of our expertise ensures a fully comprehensive service which covers all the legal needs of RPs and other bodies within the affordable housing sector. These range from targets for more and improved social housing to providing housing management services which meet rising customer expectations.

Our strength is within development (including stock transfer) and its related discipline sectors: construction and planning and projects. Allied to this, we can call on our well-established plot sales function to support RP development teams – this is particularly important as the range of home ownership products increases and for those RPs who employ private sales to cross-subsidise schemes. We have a wealth of experience in housing and management issues, particularly in relation to anti-social behaviour, building safety, disrepair and service charge disputes.

Birketts’ guide to no access issues

With increasing pressure on social housing landlords to investigate and remedy hazards within strict timeframes, securing timely access to properties has become critical. At the same time, landlords must balance these obligations with tenants’ legal rights, making “no access” issues more complex, frequent and high risk than ever.

Our guide to no access issues provides practical, legally informed support to help landlords manage these challenges with confidence. It sets out a clear and structured approach to securing access, handling refusals and reducing the risk of delay, non-compliance and dispute. The guide includes step by step flowcharts covering both emergency and non-emergency access routes, helping you make informed and defensible decisions at every stage. It also offers practical guidance on issuing notices, responding to refusals and understanding when escalation, including legal action, may be required.

We recognise that many access issues arise from communication challenges, the guide provides actionable advice on engaging effectively with tenants. This includes communication strategies, templates and checklists to help you deliver consistent, clear and compliant messaging across your organisation. We have also placed a strong emphasis on recordkeeping and evidencing “reasonable steps”. By setting out best practice for documenting access attempts, communications and outcomes, the guide helps landlords demonstrate compliance, respond to regulatory scrutiny and defend potential claims.

The guide is designed to help landlords remain compliant, strengthen tenant relationships and ensure the continued safety of their properties. For further information regarding any access issues, please contact a member of our team.

Awaabs Law

Awaab’s Law imposes strict, legally enforceable deadlines on social housing landlords to address hazards in tenant homes. Our team have produced a guide to Awaabs guide, available exclusively to our newsletter subscribers. For access to the guide please fill in the details below.

The guide provides:

• clear flowcharts outlining required landlord actions for emergency, significant, and routine hazards;
• step-by-step processes for inspections, repairs, rehousing, and tenant communications;
• best practice guidance on recordkeeping to demonstrate compliance and protect against legal or reputational risks;
• practical advice for handling tenant enquiries, including a checklist for phone calls and written communications.