module specification

This module aims to equip you to act as a day one solicitor for landlords and tenants in the process of litigious housing law matters.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to do the following:

• demonstrate your knowledge and understanding and employ the applicable skills in housing of law and practice;

• use the legal knowledge, skills, procedures and behaviours appropriate to each housing law client and each housing law  matter;

• identify the overall nature of the housing law matters, then plan and progress that
matter through a series of steps and  decisions including, where appropriate, drafting
documentation;

• identify the housing law client's goals and alternative means of achieving those
goals, and deal appropriately with client care;

• investigate and identify the relevant facts, research and identify the relevant housing
legal issues, and advise the client on the legal consequences;

• recognise and act within the rules of professional conduct;

• identify the client’s reasonable expectations as to quality and timeliness of service;

• investigate and identify the relevant facts at a client interview and help the client to
identify their goals;

• advise a client on the availability of Community Legal Service funding, in particular legal help and legal representation, in a range of housing matters and draft the appropriate Community Legal Service forms;

• understand the effect in a housing matter of a client’s entitlement to income based benefits and Housing Benefit;

• distinguish between various classes of occupation, particularly the various statutory schemes for secure tenants, assured tenants, assured shorthold tenants, rent act protected tenants, and also tenants/ licencees without security, mortgagors and trespassers;

• advise a client a client in relation to the rights attached to the above classes of occupation and the grounds for possession under the Housing Act 1985, Housing Act 1988 as amended by the Housing Act 1996 and the Rent Act 1977;

• advise a client on the impact of the Protection from Eviction Act 1977;

• understand the impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 in relation to housing matters;

• conduct and defend housing possession cases, on behalf of both the landlord and the tenant;

• advise a client on the grounds for staying/ suspending the warrant of possession, including setting aside the possession order and postponing the date of possession;

• follow the appropriate procedure to achieve the client’s goal;

• draft appropriate court documents;

• identify and advise in cases where the landlord is in breach of various provisions, in particular in cases of harassment, unlawful eviction and disrepair.

• Investigating a case and funding

• Classes of occupation and impact of statutory protection

• Housing Possession Procedure

• Staying and suspending the warrant of possession

• Claims and Counterclaims against Landlords

• Homelessness

Overview

You will be taught by a combination of on-campus and online lectures, interactive seminars, one-to-one supervision, and self-study, and will be encouraged to read from specified case law, practitioners’ text books and legal journals. (Evening students will study entirely by distance learning.)

You will be given the opportunity to discuss theoretical issues as well as practical problem solving.  You will be supported in undertaking on-line research using electronic law databases and encouraged to use on line legal resources on a regular basis. There is a virtual learning environment containing handbooks, lecture notes, weblinks, discussion groups, study skills materials and assessment criteria. 

Experiential Learning

You will be encouraged to respond to realistic case-studies relating to the sector in the style of a professional legal advisor. You will also be able to participate in the extracurricular experiential learning offered within the Law School, including the Pro Bono Clinic and the Mooting Club.

Study Support

You will have regular access to module tutors in person, by email and by one-to-one video conferences to support their studies. You will also engage with one formative assessment for each module, which will be marked promptly with opportunities for feedback either by email or individual discussion.

On successful completion of the module, you will be able to do the following:

1. demonstrate your knowledge and understanding and employ the applicable skills in housing law and practice;

2. use the legal knowledge, skills, procedures and behaviours appropriate to each client;

3. identify the overall nature of a matter pertaining to housing law, then plan and progress the matter through a series of steps and decisions including, where appropriate, drafting documentation;

4. identify the client's goals and alternative means of achieving those goals, and deal appropriately with client care;

5. investigate and identify the relevant facts, research and identify the relevant housing law issues, and advise the client on the legal consequences;

6. recognise and act within the rules of professional conduct.

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