header-logo header-logo

Civil way: 28 November 2025

28 November 2025 / Stephen Gold
Issue: 8141 / Categories: Features , Procedure & practice , Civil way , CPR
printer mail-detail
Back to school for housing; commercial litigators beware; latest fee hikes; longer with ACAS; more Help with Fees.

UNDER STARTER’S ORDERS

You may have heard. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (spot the apostrophe) is here, and its first main tranche of reforms will be brought into force on 1 May 2026. Just think of the conferences, textbooks, endless articles by former district judges, subordinate legislation, forms, county court logjams. You could take a small boat to Utopia. What you may not have heard is that I am running at a loss. I’ve printed out the whole Act. 241 pages and four paper jams.

The vote-winning abolition of assured shortholds and s 21 Housing Act 1988 notices (later for social tenancies) and new and revised possession grounds are among the first tranche of inclusions. Some stuff comes in on 27 December 2025 (s 145(5)): long tenancies* and financial services products (s 31); accommodation for homeless people and students (s 32); abandoning premises under assured shortholds in England;

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Freeths—Ruth Clare

Freeths—Ruth Clare

National real estate team bolstered by partner hire in Manchester

Farrer & Co—Claire Gordon

Farrer & Co—Claire Gordon

Partner appointed head of family team

mfg Solicitors—Neil Harrison

mfg Solicitors—Neil Harrison

Firm strengthens agriculture and rural affairs team with partner return

NEWS
Conveyancing lawyers have enjoyed a rapid win after campaigning against UK Finance’s decision to charge for access to the Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has launched a recruitment drive for talented early career and more senior barristers and solicitors
Regulators differed in the clarity and consistency of their post-Mazur advice and guidance, according to an interim report by the Legal Services Board (LSB)
The Solicitors Act 1974 may still underpin legal regulation, but its age is increasingly showing. Writing in NLJ this week, Victoria Morrison-Hughes of the Association of Costs Lawyers argues that the Act is ‘out of step with modern consumer law’ and actively deters fairness
A Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) ruling has reopened debate on the availability of ‘user damages’ in competition claims. Writing in NLJ this week, Edward Nyman of Hausfeld explains how the CAT allowed Dr Liza Lovdahl Gormsen’s alternative damages case against Meta to proceed, rejecting arguments that such damages are barred in competition law
back-to-top-scroll