Meet our team / Helen Tucker
Helen Tucker
Partner
Partner and head of housing litigation team (Birmingham)
My role
I am a partner in our housing management team of 14 and co-lead our housing litigation services. I provide specialist advice to social landlords on all types of housing-related litigation and advice, review policies and procedures, devise and enjoy delivering training and assisting landlords in handling serial complainers and the regulator’s serious detriment investigations. I have run numerous appeal and judicial review cases on leading housing law issues over the last decade.
I am also a deputy district judge (DDJ), sitting part-time in county courts in the Midlands’ circuit.
My experience
I am ranked a Band 1 social housing lawyer in the Chambers 2019 legal directory, described as “brilliant” and “highly enthusiastic, practical and experienced”. Legal 500’s reviews say my “no-nonsense approach to litigation also gives [her] real gravitas in the sector”. I was elected to the Social Housing Law Association national committee in August 2017 and also joined the trustees of a small international children’s charity, Global Care, based in Coventry.
‘Jonathan Cox and Helen Tucker are stand-out partners. They both have great experience, knowledge and judgement and commitment to their clients.’ Legal 500, 2021
‘She is incredibly knowledgeable, forthright and a pleasure to work with. “She’s excellent – extremely dedicated and very client-focused.’ Chambers and Partners, 2021
“She gives extremely good, practical advice.” – Chambers and Partners, 2022
My specialisms
- Housing litigation
- Housing management
- Harassment
My latest insights
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Increase in housing county court Fees from May 2024
Following a consultation last year, the Government has issued its response to the consultation on 1 April 2024, which can be found here....
Awaab's Law - consultation begins
A sea change in disrepair legal obligations approaches. To understand the proposals in Awaab's Law, see the e-briefing from my colleague...
Illegal evictions - police or civil matter?
On Christmas Eve, The Observer reported on the grim statistics about increasing illegal evictions and at the same time the very few...
Call for evidence on the county courts
Parliament's Justice Committee has launched a call for evidence about the working of the county court generally. It closes on 14 December...
Renters Reform Bill is back on...
Michael Gove has now secured parliamentary time for a second reading of the Rent Reform Bill on Monday 23 October. It is then expected...
Renters Reform Bill delayed
The Government has not made parliamentary time for its second reading this autumn as expected, so the progress of the Renters Reform Bill...
Housing management thoughts - Regulator of Social Housing's consumer standards consultation
The proposed new Social Housing consumer standards are now out for consultation by the Regulator of Social Housing. They will come into...
Renters Reform Bill - changes to possession grounds
My detailed ebriefing sets out the significant changes proposed to the grounds for possession relevant to social landlords. This is the...
Service of NSPs by local authorities
A new Court of Appeal case (Birmingham City Council v Drew Bravington) has decided that local authority landlords can validly serve a...
Proactively managing disrepair claims
This was the title of the panel session I spoke at during the HOMES UK 22 conference last week. My main point was for landlords to focus...
The end of s21 notices really is nigh...
Huge change ahead - s21 notices and no fault evictions abolished; the end of fixed term and starter tenancies for housing associations...
Claims farming and disrepair cases
A helpful article in Inside Housing last week from Riverside's CEO about the cost of disrepair claims. Of course, there are valid claims...
The end of no-fault evictions approaches for the private rented sector
Amongst the many proposals made in the Levelling Up White Paper published this week is a mention of the long-awaited abolition of...
Delay to plans to abolish s21 notices and assured shorthold tenancies
The Government have now confirmed they will not publish their White Paper on plans to abolish s21 notices and "no fault" evictions until...
Parallel tracks: Disrepair claim or Ombudsman complaint? 'It's not lifestyle'
Have you spotted the Housing Ombudsman's 'Spotlight Report on damp and mould - It's not lifestyle' and a significant change to its...
Possession claims - recent changes!
Do see my e-briefing below which summarises some recent "under the radar" changes to possession proceedings that have not had much...
Domestic Abuse Act impact on housing providers
The excellent article by Cornerstone barrister Tara O'Leary below is a really helpful summary of the new Domestic Abuse Act 2021...
Possession notices - all change again!
From 1 June 2021 all the notice periods for possession notices (both section 21 notices for assured shortholds and NSPs for secure and...
Beware bank holidays - new Notice of Seeking Possession template lands....
Yet again, a new template Notice of Seeking Possession (NSP) for assured tenants has been issued on a bank holiday with no prior warning....
What does the debt Breathing Space scheme mean for landlords arrears?
My colleague Emilie Pownall highlights in her ebriefing below the impact of this new Breathing Space scheme that starts on 4 May 2021....
Helping St Basil's help young people into homes
Proud to share the work done by our property team for St Basil's, a great charity helping young people out of homelessness! Access to the...
My latest articles
Renters Reform Bill – changes to grounds for possession
We analysed the proposed changes in June 2022 but they are...
The Regulator of Social Housing’s consumer review 2021 to 2022: Lessons for the future of social housing regulation
On 14 July 2022, the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH)...
‘A fairer private rented sector’ white paper 2022: Tenancy and possession changes
The Government has now published its long-awaited white...