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03 July 2026 / Thomas Rothwell , Kavish Shah
Issue: 8168 / Categories: Features , Property , Landlord&tenant , CPR
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The King of England & all his forces dare not cross the threshold, but the Civil Procedure Committee may… Thomas Rothwell & Kavish Shah report

  • The article reviews conflicting court decisions on whether landlords can be authorised to force entry to carry out essential safety inspections when tenants refuse access.
  • The authors argue that higher-court guidance is needed to clarify landlords’ enforcement options and resolve the current legal uncertainty.

The County Court is facing an increasing number of cases in which residential landlords are asking for permission to break the lock to enter their tenant’s home, in order to carry out necessary safety inspections, when that tenant has failed to comply with a prior injunction requiring them to provide access. There is no agreed approach to such cases, and recent disagreements in the County Court show the need for the higher courts to provide some definitive guidance.

There are a number of reasons why residential landlords may have a legitimate need to enter their tenant’s home: for example,

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Flint Bishop—Charlotte Harris

Flint Bishop—Charlotte Harris

Sheffield expansion continues with appointment of commercial property partner

Browne Jacobson—Paul Duggan

Browne Jacobson—Paul Duggan

Browne Jacobson strengthens banking and finance practice with latest partner appointment Paul Duggan

Ward Hadaway—Chris Piggott

Ward Hadaway—Chris Piggott

Employment partner joins Ward Hadaway

NEWS
The Law Society RFC Festival of Sport returns next month, bringing together legal and financial services professionals for one of the sector’s largest annual sporting events
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners

Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.

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