Annual Gas Safety Checks – Are You Still Paying Too Much?
The Gas Safety (Installation and Use)(Amendment) Regulation 2018 came in to force on 6 April 2018. A year on, it is worth reminding landlords of its terms. This amendment addressed the often unnecessary and unintended financial burden of over-compliance with the 12 month gas safety check. Instead of having to begin the process early, in anticipation […]
Brexit: What are the Employment Implications for Businesses?
As we approach 29 March there are changing levels of uncertainty around what might happen when the UK leaves the European Union, it is a good time to consider what options your business might have to take ahead of a possible Brexit. The current position is that at 11pm on 29 March 2019 the United […]
Changes to the Property Factor’s Code of Conduct: Factoring in the Equation
Are you a Registered Social Landlord engaged in property factoring? Are your factoring practices robust and ready for upcoming changes to the Property Factor’s Code of Conduct? The Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 is 6 years old and created a statutory framework providing protections for homeowners who receive services from a property factor. As part […]
Age Discrimination – A Timely Reminder of This Issue
Earlier this month, Acas issued guidance on age discrimination and information for workplaces outlining important points for businesses to consider including steps to take to avoid age discrimination in the workplace and examples of how age discrimination might occur. Age is one of the nine protected characteristics within the Equality Act 2010. This means that an employee […]
Is it time for Servitudes for Recreational Purposes?
A servitude is a right that a landowner has over neighbouring property which allows the holder of the servitude (or benefitted proprietor) to do something with another person’s property, which would not normally be allowed. Whether created by a specific grant, by reservation, or indeed through uninterrupted use for the prescriptive period of 20 years […]
Clancy Docwra v E.On Energy Solutions – The Need for Consistency in Contracts
The recent case of Clancy Docwra Ltd v E.On Energy Solutions Ltd has highlighted the need for consistency between a contract and any additional documents appended to it. E.On appointed Clancy Docwra as a sub-contractor to excavate trenches for the installation of an underground district heating network. They had started the works when they encountered adverse ground […]
Updated Model Private Residential Tenancy Agreement
The Scottish Government has recently published updated versions of the model Private Residential Tenancy Agreement, Easy Read Notes, and Statutory Terms Supporting Notes. This update takes account of changes to data protection laws, as well as other minor edits and clarifications. The new versions should be used going forward. You can access the updated information […]
From LIBOR to SONIA – Technical Adjustment or Substantive Shift?
LIBOR (the London Inter-bank Offered Rate) is at the heart of private funding to the housing sector. Post-2022 however, banks will no longer be required to provide LIBOR quotations and thought needs to be given as to how that may affect Registered Social Landlords who have loans that continue beyond 2022 or indeed are taking […]
First-tier Tribunal – Amendments to the Procedural Rules and Legislation
Previously, we blogged on the problems with service of actions raised at the First-tier Tribunal – Housing and Property Chamber (FTT-HPC) where the address of the tenant was unknown. Proposals to amend the FTT-HPC procedural rules to correct this problem and revise the procedural rules more generally were laid before Parliament in December 2018. The […]
Autumn 2018 Budget – Key Employment Announcements
On 29 October 2018, the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, delivered the Autumn 2018 Budget. The Budget included the following measures of interest to employment practitioners: Source – HM Treasury: Budget 2018: documents (29 October 2018).
