header-logo header-logo

24 April 2026
Issue: 8158 / Categories: Legal News , Civil way , Procedure & practice , Landlord&tenant , Leasehold , Family
printer mail-detail

NLJ this week: Rent reforms unleash tribunal turmoil

A wave of housing and procedural reforms is set to test the limits of tribunal capacity. In his latest Civil Way column for NLJ this week, Stephen Gold charts sweeping change as the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 begins biting

New forms, fees and tribunal powers risk clogging the system, with the Property Chamber already ‘condemned’ to heavy workloads. Fee hikes and phased implementation aim to manage ‘operational risk’, but delays loom.

Meanwhile, family procedure updates, longer enforcement notice periods and a key Court of Appeal ruling on service charges reshape practice. Leaseholders scored a major win where ‘safety’ wording failed to cover structural defects.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Winckworth Sherwood—Rubianka Winspear

Winckworth Sherwood—Rubianka Winspear

Real estate and construction energy offering boosted by partner hire

Gateley Legal—Daniel Walsh

Gateley Legal—Daniel Walsh

Firm bolsters real estate team with partner hire in Birmingham

Shakespeare Martineau—Serena Eddy

Shakespeare Martineau—Serena Eddy

London restructuring team strengthened by legal director appointment

NEWS
A wave of housing and procedural reforms is set to test the limits of tribunal capacity. In his latest Civil Way column for NLJ this week, Stephen Gold charts sweeping change as the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 begins biting
Plans to reduce jury trials risk missing the real problem in the criminal justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, David Wolchover of Ridgeway Chambers argues the crown court backlog is fuelled not by juries but weak cases slipping through a flawed ‘50%’ prosecution test
Emerging technologies may soon transform how courts determine truth in deeply personal disputes. In this week's NLJ, Madhavi Kabra of 1 Hare Court and Harry Lambert of Outer Temple Chambers explore how neurotechnology could reshape family law
A controversial protest case has reignited debate over the limits of free expression. In NLJ this week, Nicholas Dobson examines a Quran-burning incident testing public order law
The courts have drawn a firm line under attempts to extend arbitration appeals. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed of the University of Leicester highlights that if the High Court refuses permission under s 68 of the Arbitration Act 1996, that is the end
back-to-top-scroll