Housing

Director of Housing, Dianne Cowie specialises in landlord and tenant matters, helping tenants and leaseholders ensure repairs are carried out to their properties and when possible, obtaining compensation for clients affected by disrepair. She has expertise in disrepair, injunction and committal proceedings, homelessness appeals, and judicial reviews. She also advises on rent arrears, and breaches of tenancy.

Dianne has particular expertise in possession matters notably those involving allegations of anti-social behaviour, often in respect of vulnerable clients. She has extensive experience handling cases that have been decided in the Administrative Court, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

She is recognised as an “excellent litigator” and her expertise have resulted in her involvement in reported cases.

Notable cases include representing a vulnerable tenant in both a possession matter as well as a subsequent homelessness matter. Successfully settling the complex possession matter clearing arrears of £10,000 and thereafter ensuring that a duty to house was accepted by the local authority by appealing their decision not to accept this on the basis of not eligible due to status.

Her team runs weekly pro bono clinics for Citizens Advice Merton and Lambeth, and she has also provided training in relation to homelessness and possession matters to the Citizens Advice volunteers/advisors.

Dianne studied her Bachelor of Laws (Hons) (LLB) at Nottingham Trent University and gained her LPC from the College of Law, London.