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Articles by Stephen Small
My mum’s neighbour runs a car repair business from his garage—The Times
Partner Ed Cracknell and trainee Anna Sheppard from the property litigation team have authored an article in The Times exploring legal options when a neighbour uses communal land to operate a business. The article examines the remedies available where communal land is used without permission or a business is run from a residential property, covering issues such as trespass, planning enforcement, restrictive covenants, nuisance claims and practical ways to resolve neighbour disputes.
Webinar: Renters’ Rights Act – Implications for Estates, Trusts & Private Client Practice
In the press In this session, Giles will examine how the Renters’ Rights Act is reshaping the private rented sector and the significant implications for private client practitioners. The webinar will explore the challenges facing executors and trustees who become ‘involuntary landlords’, the impact of the abolition of ‘no fault’ evictions, and the risks associated with estates, trusts and gifts involving tenanted property.
Ban on upwards-only rent reviews: what it means for commercial landlords and tenants
The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 introduces a significant change for commercial landlords and tenants, with a proposed ban on upwards-only rent reviews expected to shake up market norms. The Act will apply to commercial leases in England and Wales (except for mining leases and leases of sites for electronic communications apparatus). What does the ban do?
The Renters' Rights Act and its impact on estates-Solicitors Journal
In the press Senior associate Giles Hall has authored an article in Solicitors Journal that examines the implications of the Renters’ Rights Act for estate and trust administration, warning that the reforms will significantly reshape possession procedures, delay property sales, and increase compliance burdens for executors and trustees.
How can I get rid of my disruptive flatmate?-The Times
Senior associate Caroline Brosnan has responded to a reader who wrote to The Times Home Help column, enquiring about the rights of her daughter, who is sharing a rental property with a flatmate whose behaviour is disruptive, antisocial and affecting neighbours. Caroline notes that while the tenant cannot directly enforce rules against her flatmate, she can rely on the landlord to address breaches of the tenancy agreement or seek an early release without penalty if her health is impacted.
Awaab’s Law-extending safety standards to the private rented sector
In this briefing, partner Stephen Small explores the introduction of Awaab’s Law — named in memory of Awaab Ishak — and its anticipated extension to the private rented sector for the first time. Background: a tragedy that prompted reform Awaab Ishak was a two-year-old child who tragically died in 2020 following prolonged exposure to mould in his family’s social housing flat. The coroner found that systemic delays in addressing damp and mould were a direct cause of his death.
The Renters' Rights Act series: everything you need to know about the future of the private rented sector
The Renters' Rights Act, which was made law on 27 October 2025, introduces sweeping reforms, including the end of fixed-term and assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs), new and restructured grounds for possession and tighter restrictions on evictions. These changes are set to reshape the legal and practical framework for private rentals in England. How can we help you? This page brings together the latest insights, analysis and guidance to help you understand what the reforms mean for you.
Don’t just bin it: considerations to make before disposing of tenants’ belongings
In this briefing, they discuss how landlords should deal with a tenant’s belongings left in their property. Background and summary Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank held 115 items belonging to customers who could not be traced. The items within the boxes had been deposited with the bank between 44 and 122 years ago. There were no agreements covering the terms of use of the safety deposit boxes and nobody had claimed or shown any interest in the items for many years.
Rent increases under scrutiny-new limits and tribunal challenges
The Renters' Rights Bill introduces some subtle, yet significant, changes to how rent can be increased for most residential tenancies. The aim is to protect tenants from sudden or excessive rent rises, while still allowing landlords to adjust rents, albeit in a more regulated manner. Whether those aims will be met is likely to be the subject of much debate.
Possession proceedings reimagined-new grounds and tighter restrictions
As part of the proposed overhaul of residential tenancy law in England, the current regime for recovering possession is set to undergo significant change. With the removal of fixed-term tenancies and so-called ‘no-fault’ evictions, unless tenants vacate voluntarily, landlords will now have to rely exclusively on statutory grounds for seeking possession—some of which are new, and many of which are being redefined.
The end of fixed-term and assured shorthold tenancies-a new era for residential lettings
Major reforms to residential tenancy law in England are on the horizon, with proposed legislation set to abolish assured shorthold tenancies and ban fixed terms. These changes will have far-reaching implications for landlords, tenants, and property professionals. Periodic tenancies become the norm When the proposals are enacted, almost all new residential tenancies will be assured tenancies and will start as periodic agreements, with rent payable monthly or more frequently.
Renters’ Rights Bill: what does this new legislation mean for landlords?
With the Renters’ Rights Bill nearing the end of its passage through the House of Lords, our property litigation team outlines the key points that landlords should be aware of. When will the Bill be passed into law? The Renters' Rights Bill is moving to the Committee Stage in the House of Lords, which will be on the 22 and 24 April 2025.
Russell-Cooke advises Tokoro Capital in partnership with Homie on the acquisition of Leazes Parade
Russell-Cooke has advised Tokoro Capital LLP in partnership with Homie on the acquisition of Leazes Parade, a student village in Newcastle upon Tyne. The site was purchased from L1 Property and completed on 31 May 2024. Tokoro Capital, an independent real estate investment management company operating in the UK and Europe, has expanded its focus beyond industrial premisses and offices into student accommodation.
Council tax shake-up for HMOs and the impact on landlords and tenants
On 1 December 2023, The Council Tax (Chargeable Dwellings and Liability for Owners) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2023 came into force. The regulations have changed the way in which council tax is calculated for house of multiple occupancy (HMO) properties in England and Wales. Prior to the regulations, an HMO could be split into single units by the local authority for the purposes of calculating council tax through a process called disaggregation.
Council tax shake-up and the impact on landlords and tenants
On 1 December 2023, The Council Tax (Chargeable Dwellings and Liability for Owners) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2023 came into force. The regulations have changed the way in which council tax is calculated for house of multiple occupancy (HMO) properties in England and Wales. Prior to the regulations, an HMO could be split into single units by the local authority for the purposes of calculating council tax through a process called disaggregation.
How to improve brittle nails
By Stephen Small, Clinic Nutrition. Around a fifth of the population suffer from brittle nails (onychoschizia). It’s more prevalent in women, (1) and it is a common cause of soft, thin, or splitting nails. As we age our body’s natural collagen production slows down, with the process beginning from around the age of 30. Lower levels of collagen lead to lower levels of keratin which can make your nails brittle and more prone to breakage.
Why Collagen Is the Key to Improving Brittle Nails
Cite This Stephen Small, (2023, January 26). Why Collagen Is the Key to Improving Brittle Nails. Psychreg on Wellness. https://www.psychreg.org/why-collagen-key-improving-brittle-nails/ Reading Time: 2 minutes Lower levels of collagen lead to lower levels of keratin which can make your nails brittle and more prone to breakage. As we age our body’s natural collagen production slows down, with the process beginning around the age of 30.
The Reasons you Should have IDD Therapy in your Back Pain Clinic
Let’s face it, every back care clinic would like a new revenue stream, but that isn’t always easy to achieve. Maybe you simply don’t have the hours in the day to take on any new patients, or enough staff, or perhaps a key team member recently left either taking patients with them or giving patients a reason to look elsewhere. Or maybe years of physical work has taken its toll and you simply need to take it a bit easier.
Transcriptional Enhancers in Drosophila
Abstract Key discoveries in Drosophila have shaped our understanding of cellular “enhancers.” With a special focus on the fly, this chapter surveys properties of these adaptable cis-regulatory elements, whose actions are critical for the complex spatial/temporal transcriptional regulation of gene expression in metazoa. The powerful combination of genetics, molecular biology, and genomics available in Drosophila has provided an arena in which the developmental role of enhancers can be explored.
A time of change, a time to change?
By Sally Bull and Stephen Small Moments of crisis have often been the catalyst for broader social change. The impact of new working practices in World War I, for example, was a turning point for the role of women in British society. The traditional, patriarchal views of the rights and capabilities of women shifted irrevocably and women were given the right to vote soon after the war.
‘Customer-centric’ strategic planning that drives behaviour change
In recent years, the pharmaceutical industry has increasingly embraced the need to be more customer-centric in its mindset, product offerings and services. This is particularly evident in the desire for true ‘engagements’ that resonate with customers rather than the more traditional ‘push’ approach to communications.
Bicoid-Dependent Activation of the Target Gene hunchback Requires a Two-Motif Sequence Code in a Specific Basal Promoter
Highlights • A two-motif code (Zelda site + TATA) allows Bicoid to activate a specific promoter • Binding Zelda to enhancers and promoters synchronizes their ability to interact • The Zelda site + TATA code is not a general code for Bicoid-specific activation Summary In complex genetic loci, individual enhancers interact most often with specific basal promoters. Here we investigate the activation of the Bicoid target gene hunchback ( hb), which contains two basal promoters (P1 and P2).
Black Europe Series
*This post is part of our new blog series on Black Europe. This series, edited by Kira Thurman and Anne-Marie Angelo, explores what it means to
The Black Studies Movement in Britain
*This post is part of our new blog series on Black Europe. This series, edited by Kira Thurman and Anne-Marie Angelo, explores what it means to bring the category of Black Europe to the foreground of scholarship on Europe and the Black Atlantic. In 1967, the Afro-Caribbean Self-Help Organisation (ACSHO), based in Birmingham, started one of the first Black supplementary schools in the UK, sparking off a movement that transformed how mainstream schools treated their Black children.
Sun Ra Speaks About the Trial of Angela Davis
Sun Ra Speaks About the Trial of Angela Davis Anthony Reed, in his recent article on the grammar of utopia and freedom in the music of jazz performer Sun Ra, argues that we must be mindful of how dreams of future liberation can just as easily reproduce the systems of domination we wish to escape. Sun Ra makes this contradiction abundantly clear in an audio recording of an interview I recently found in which he shares his thoughts on the trial of Black political activist Angela Davis.
#SummerReading: Recommended New Books on the Black Experience
#SummerReading: Recommended New Books on the Black Experience With summer quickly approaching, I have compiled a list of recommended new non-fiction books. All of these books, which were published as early as February or will be published this summer, offer valuable insights on the Black experience in the United States and across the globe. Collectively, these books deepen our understanding of race and racism, and provide the necessary tools for antiracism work.
Why Fathers Matter
Over the last few decades fathers have become increasingly involved in the process of raising children. Now research is showing the positive influence of fathers on their children from birth into adolescence and beyond. This post will discuss the important role fathers play in the lives of children and offer strategies fathers can use to become more involved with their tweens and teens.
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