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02 March 2007 / Tamsin Cox , Edward Peters KC
Issue: 7262 / Categories: Features , Landlord&tenant , Property
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Property law update

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.

Landlords' obligations under DDA 1995, Statutory protection of tenants, Adverse possession

DISCRIMINATING LANDLORDS

The Court of Appeal in Richmond Court (Swansea) Ltd v Williams [2006] EWCA Civ 1719. [2006] All ER (D) 218 (Dec) has provided welcome guidance about the test to be applied when considering whether a landlord has discriminated against a tenant on the basis of disability, contrary to the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA 1995).

Dorothy Williams was the underlessee of a third floor flat. Her flat was reached by a common staircase, which her lease granted her an easement to use. However, at the age of 81 she was suffering from mobility problems. She could use the stairs only with the greatest difficulty, and needed a stairlift.

The local authority was prepared to pay for the installation of a stairlift, but the headlessee of the block refused to allow it to be installed. Williams claimed that, by refusing its consent, the headlessee was discriminating against her contrary to DDA 1995, s 22(3), and

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Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
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The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
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A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
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Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
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