Practice-area hub
Housing Solicitors
A housing problem can affect your home, your rental income or both. Highfin's Housing service covers landlord and tenant disputes, possession, repairs and related concerns. Understanding the agreement, the property and the stage of the dispute helps identify which legal route needs attention.
Sources checked on . This general information does not assess your individual circumstances.
Start with the home and the agreement
Private renting, social housing, a long residential lease and living with a resident landlord can involve different rights. The document's name alone may not settle the occupier's legal status. Bring the agreement, its start date and details of who owns and occupies the property.
England and Wales also have different rental systems. Welsh occupation contracts need their own analysis; English assured-tenancy notices should not be applied to them. Identify the property's location before relying on a notice or choosing a court form.
Possession and the risk of losing a home
Landlords seeking possession and tenants receiving a notice need different advice about the same process. A notice, a court claim and an enforcement appointment are separate stages. Review the documents promptly so that a deadline is not confused with permission to remove an occupier.
The Renters' Rights Act reforms applying to English private assured tenancies began on 1 May 2026. New Section 21 notices are no longer available for those tenancies, but saved proceedings require separate checking. Our possession pages explain these distinctions rather than treating every eviction as the same case.
Repairs, deposits and rent disputes
Housing disputes may concern the condition of the property, deductions from a deposit, unpaid rent or disagreement about responsibilities. Identify what has happened, what each party has been told and what outcome is sought before selecting a remedy.
Useful records include dated repair reports, photographs, inspection correspondence, deposit documents and a clear payment history. A repair complaint and a rent debt can arise together, but one should not be assumed to cancel the other. Obtain advice before withholding rent or making deductions.
Resolving disagreements and protecting occupation
Highfin's existing Housing service includes rental disputes, negotiation and possession matters. A practical resolution may involve clarifying obligations or agreeing next steps; a disputed claim may require a court decision. The appropriate approach depends on the evidence and the parties' rights.
Harassment or an unlawful lockout is different from a lawful possession claim. Keep a record of threats, access problems and interference with services. Seek prompt advice about protection and possible remedies; neither compensation nor reinstatement can be promised.
Prepare a useful first enquiry
Summarise whether you are a landlord, tenant or another occupier, the property's location and the immediate problem. Identify any notice, hearing or enforcement date at the outset. Keep complete copies of the papers, including envelopes or messages showing when they arrived.
Ask Highfin to confirm the work it can undertake and the terms of instruction. Use the contact details provided for deadlines; submitting a form does not confirm that Highfin has accepted instructions.
Official guidance
- Documents for review
- Prepare the agreement, correspondence and a chronology. Do not put highly sensitive documents into the initial website enquiry.
- Scope and charges
- Confirm the adviser, work involved and charges before instructing. No legal-aid availability, fixed fee or conditional-fee arrangement is assumed.
Frequently asked questions
Your questions
Can one page explain every type of housing dispute?
No. Tenure, location and the remedy sought affect the rules. Use the service links to identify the issue, then have the actual agreement and documents assessed.
Does a housing association tenancy follow the private renting rules?
Not necessarily. A social housing assured tenancy is treated differently for commencement purposes, and the landlord's name alone does not establish the tenancy type.
Can I raise repairs and rent arrears together?
Yes, both may need assessment, but they are distinct issues. Keep separate evidence of payments and reported defects; do not assume a repair complaint removes a rent obligation.
What should I say if I have received court papers?
Identify the court, claim number, date of service and any deadline or hearing. Keep all pages and seek advice promptly rather than waiting for a general enquiry response.
Your next step · Housing
Let’s start with
a conversation.
Enquire about Housing using the Contact page enquiry section.
Use the enquiry form or our telephone or email contact details.
View enquiry formReturn to Home
Social housing and other housing concerns
Council tenancies and housing-association arrangements must be identified accurately. The May 2026 private assured-tenancy reforms did not apply generally to social housing assured tenancies; the government's planned implementation for most of these is October 2027. Council secure tenancies have a different framework.
Highfin's legacy Housing information also covers homelessness, tenancy succession and neighbourhood problems. Explain these issues when asking whether the firm can accept your matter. They may need a different assessment from a possession dispute, and this overview does not promise a particular housing allocation or outcome.