Services
Navigating housing law is increasingly complex, and landlords face significant operational and regulatory pressures. Since establishing our dedicated housing management team in 1990, we have provided housing management legal advice to landlords across England and Wales, supporting them through disputes, compliance challenges and long-term asset and tenancy strategies.
As one of the largest specialist teams in the country, we are recognised for our depth of expertise and practical, down‑to‑earth approach. Our client base is diverse: we act for more than 350 landlords, including G15 members, Registered Providers of Social Housing, Registered Social Landlords, Local Authorities, Housing Co-operatives, care and support providers, institutional and private landlords. This breadth gives us an uncommonly clear view of sector trends, operational pressures and the day‑to‑day realities our clients face.
Ranked Band 1 in Chambers and Partners and Tier 1 in Legal 500 for Social Housing, our team is consistently commended for pragmatic advice and commercially grounded problem-solving. As Chambers & Partners notes, “The social housing team at Devonshires seeks to offer pragmatic solutions for its clients to achieve fair, cost‑effective outcomes.” This balance of technical capability and sector insight underpins the guidance we provide on social housing property disputes, regulatory issues and strategic risk.
Our Services
We offer the full range of contentious and non-contentious support, along with training and consultancy designed to build capability and resilience within housing organisations. Although we have substantial experience in the higher courts, we recognise that litigation is not always the most efficient route. We therefore promote alternative dispute resolution for landlords, using mediation and other flexible mechanisms to reduce cost, time and disruption.
Our expertise includes:
- Possession claims legal support
- Anti-social behaviour and statutory nuisance injunctions, including statutory nuisance legal guidance
- Housing conditions claims
- Tenancy fraud legal assistance
- Judicial Review
- Removal of squatters
- Access injunctions
- Rent and service charge recovery
- Equality Act and Human Rights Act compliance
- Tenancy and policy drafting and reviews
- Leasehold dispute resolution
- Business tenancy renewal support
- Training and development services
- Wider landlord legal support services across operational and strategic matters
As experienced housing management lawyers, we advise a wide range of clients from large housing providers to individual landlords, combining legal precision with a clear understanding of sector pressures.
Upcoming event
HMPL Building Blocks: Tenancy Management – Assignment, Mutual Exchange and Succession
In this webinar, we will provide an introduction and overview of the law and processes around assignment, mutual exchange and succession.
Meet the Team
Our nationwide team operates from London, Leeds and Birmingham. Led by Partners Lee Russell and Mark Foxcroft, we draw on a strong cohort of Partners, senior lawyers and specialists with deep experience across housing management and dispute resolution.
We know that effective support relies on matching the right expertise to each matter. Clients consistently describe our service as collaborative, pragmatic and responsive, having in one instance described working with us as “a dream…as it is always a team effort with everyone pulling in the same direction”. This ethos, paired with our technical capability, ensures our advice is both precise and practical.
We combine a people‑led service with thoughtful use of technology, including case management and AI‑enabled tools, helping us deliver work efficiently and competitively.
Our team contributes actively to sector development and policy. We work closely with organisations such as the Chartered Institute of Housing, National Housing Federation and British Property Federation, and our lawyers hold positions within the Social Housing Law Association, Tenancy Fraud Forum, WISH (Women in Social Housing) and the Women’s Housing Forum steering group. This involvement ensures our clients benefit from advice that is informed, current and grounded in sector realities.
Don’t just take our word for it…
Contact us
For initial enquiries please complete this form and send us a message. We’ll direct your enquiry to the appropriate person.
Related
26 Feb 2026 • Webinar Online
The Commonhold & Leasehold Reform Bill and the ban on new leasehold flats: Initial Considerations
19 Feb 2026 • Article 4 min read
McLaren Indy LLC & Anor v Alpa Racing and CPR 31.12A: A turning point for non-party disclosure
18 Feb 2026 • Article 3 min read
Phillips v Garraway: Court of Appeal Clarifies the Meaning of “Rent” under the Housing Act 1988
12 Feb 2026 • Article 3 min read
Key Takeaways from Devonshires’ Breakfast Briefing - Commonhold & Leasehold Reform Bill
12 Feb 2026 • Article 1 min read
Government releases Welsh version of commonhold consultation on banning leasehold for new flats
2 Feb 2026 • Article 5 min read
Government Publishes Response to the Consultation on Raising Energy Efficiency Standards in the Private Rented Sector
29 Jan 2026 • Article 3 min read
Government responds on reformed Decent Homes Standard consultation
27 Jan 2026 • Article 2 min read
Latest seismic announcements from Government - draft Commonhold & Leasehold Reform Bill published and consultation on banning leasehold for new flats commenced
27 Jan 2026 • Article 4 min read
Ofgem heat networks regulation begins: Key changes coming into effect on 27 January 2026
26 Jan 2026 • Article 4 min read
Briefing: New £15bn Warm Homes Plan announced as Government confirms ‘Biggest Home Upgrade Programme in British History’
23 Jan 2026 • Article 4 min read
STAIRs Update: Housing Ombudsman consults on its role under STAIRs
22 Jan 2026 • Article 6 min read
Inquests from an Employment Perspective: How to Manage Issues Arising from Inquests
22 Jan 2026 • Article 3 min read
Renters’ Rights Act: draft Regulations published confirming contents of written statement of terms
19 Dec 2025 • Article
Consultation announced: Enhanced protections for homeowners on freehold estates
16 Dec 2025 • Article 3 min read