Our Team
Zenith Chambers is home to the largest specialist team of housing barristers on the north eastern circuit. The team is widely regarded as pre-eminent in its field, with over 15 members undertaking a wide range of work at all levels of experience. With practitioners experienced in acting for both public and private landlords as well as tenants, applicants and other occupiers of housing, we are excellently placed to provide comprehensive advice, drafting and advocacy services to all prospective clients.
We are known as being friendly and approachable, aiming to deliver a quick, efficient and cost-effective service to all our clients. In so doing, accessibility is the key; we regularly provide urgent, preliminary advice to clients over the telephone or by e-mail as the circumstances demand.
Our personal approach makes us a popular choice with both lay and professional clients. This is reflected in a high level of repeat instructions, referrals by word of mouth and receipt of positive feedback on a regular basis. Given the often and increasingly cost sensitive nature of the cases in which we are involved, our clerking team has a realistic and flexible approach to charging rates, tailoring them to the individual needs of the case and the client.
We also prepare and deliver bespoke training sessions for all our clients on request. Regular large scale open seminars and lectures on all areas of housing related legal topics and also undertaken by members of the team, with the emphasis on providing solicitors, local authorities, housing associations, law centres and other advice agencies with updates on recent legal developments.
Our Expertise
We have extensive experience of representing clients at all stages of proceedings, from tribunal and review panel representation to the Supreme Court. The strength in depth of the team enables us to provide a comprehensive service to practitioners in all areas of housing and social welfare law. We provide advice and advocacy services to tenants, applicants for housing, public social and private landlords. Members also have experience of advising larger organisations concerning the drafting, implementation and implications of policy in housing, allocation and social welfare.
Clients include local authorities, charities, housing associations (and other providers of social housing), law centres and solicitors, covering a wide geographical area. Whilst practising chiefly on the North Eastern Circuit, our members’ areas of work extend beyond those boundaries, to the Midlands and West of the Pennines. Members of the team are also trained to provide work on a direct access basis.
Our areas of expertise and specialism include:
- Anti-social behaviour (including ASBOs, injunctions, committals, possession claims and closure orders).
- Claims for possession.
- Disrepair
- Homelessness
- Housing rights affecting those with capacity and mental health issues and physical disability
- Human Rights
- Introductory and demoted tenancies
- Judicial Review proceedings relating to housing and social welfare issues
- Policy advice – including advising and drafting of policies for local housing authorities and registered providers of social housing on the lawfulness of their allocation policies.
- Prosecuting and Defending criminal proceedings including appeals under Housing legislation.
- Service charge disputes
- Travellers
- Trespass
- Unlawful eviction and harassment
The housing team at Zenith takes an active interest in local housing issues and is involved with the Yorkshire Housing Law Practitioners’ Association. This well regarded local association meets regularly providing training and good practice guidance in the field of housing, homelessness, residential property and community care law. For more information about this specialist interest group please visit www.hlpa.org.uk.
