We have worked in the social housing sector since the early 1970s and are recognised as one of the country’s leading providers of legal services to housing associations and other registered social landlords. Our clients vary from large nationwide organisations to small housing co-ops.
The Chambers Guide to the UK Legal Profession 2008 says:
[Bremners] scoops widespread praise for its representation of North West housing associations and registered social landlords...in a range of social housing issues, from regeneration and charitable conversions to housing management and anti-social behaviour.
The 2007 Guide said:
Clients trust the “excellent quality of service” that this team provides, as well as “the speed with which the work is executed”. The partners are considered “approachable and responsive”, proving adept in a host of matters …
We try to become part of clients’ teams, rather than a distant external adviser. We aim to add value, by helping to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence of clients’ staff. This leads to an improvement in the motivation and efficiency of staff and a reduced need for legal advice.
We achieve this by:
- Always being available to give practical legal advice and by being approachable to clients’ staff of all levels.
- Providing surgery sessions at clients’ offices, giving advice on problem cases and general issues.
- Providing training courses on legal issues, including comprehensive handouts.
- Preparing policy and procedure documents written in plain English, which provide practical guidance and assistance to clients’ staff.
- Monitoring changes in the law and passing any relevant information onto clients.
Our main areas of expertise are listed below.
- Development work
- Housing management work
- Constitutional advice
- Funding
- Sheltered and supported housing schemes
- Property disposals
- Stock transfers and stock swaps
- Training
- The purchase, sale, leasing and development of land including road closures, easements and covenants. We are regularly involved in complicated site assembly work and joint venture arrangements.
- Building and consultancy contracts and collateral warranties.
- Planning and environmental issues.
Housing management work
- Anti-social behaviour cases including possession and demotion claims, injunctions and ASBOs. We have been involved in pioneering work to tackle anti-social behaviour, including obtaining some of the first ASBOs and demotion orders granted to housing associations in the North West.
- Tenancy issues, including the preparation of tenancy agreements and housing management policy and procedure documents. We are always available to give day to day advice, for example on succession rights, mutual exchanges and relationship breakdowns between joint tenants.
- Tolerated trespassers.
- Disrepair claims under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and statutory nuisance claims under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
- Rent arrears and other possession proceedings, including trespassers proceedings and applications to suspend warrants.
- Gas access injunctions (we offer a competitive fixed fee service).
- Housing management issues involving hostels and sheltered and supported schemes.
- Housing management issues arising from stock transfers.
- Judicial review and Housing Ombudsman cases
Constitutional advice
- Group structures
- Charity law and on the conversion of non-charitable registered social landlords to charitable status.
- Regulatory requirements of the Registrar of Friendly Societies, the Charity Commissioners and the Housing Corporation.
- Schedule 1 issues, such as benefits to officers and employees
Funding
- Private funding from the Housing Corporation, local authorities, building societies, banks and other lenders.
- PFI projects.
Sheltered and supported housing schemes
- Projects funded by health authorities for the resettlement of residents with mental health problems.
- Retirement villages, including dealing with site acquisition and the leasing of individual units.
- Management agreements and management issues.
Property disposals
- Statutory and voluntary disposals including the right to buy and the right to acquire.
- Shared ownership schemes
Stock transfers and stock swaps
- Stock transfers from local authorities.
- Stock swaps and stock rationalisation between registered social landlords.
Training
- Training is an integral part of the service that we provide to clients.
- We organise individual training sessions for clients and with Mitchell Charlesworth, an annual seminar on current issues for registered social landlords.
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