The Living in Hackney Scrutiny Commission met on Wednesday 21 January 2026 to discuss the significant challenges faced by victims of domestic abuse who share joint social tenancies with their perpetrators, and to review the Council's Housing Strategy 2026-31. The Commission also noted the progress on the Housing Improvement Plan and reviewed the Housing Revenue Account budget monitoring.

Joint Social Tenancies and Domestic Abuse

The Commission focused heavily on the complex issues surrounding joint social tenancies and domestic abuse. It was highlighted that when one joint tenant leaves a property, the tenancy continues, leaving both individuals liable for rent and arrears. This situation can be exploited by perpetrators, who may unilaterally end the tenancy, leaving the survivor vulnerable and potentially homeless. Survivors are often reluctant to end the tenancy due to fear of reprisals, concerns about future housing options, and the potential loss of security of tenure.

Current legal remedies, such as Occupation Orders, are temporary and costly, and do not remove the perpetrator's legal right to the property. Permanent solutions like divorce and financial remedy orders are lengthy and expensive. The Council's Domestic Abuse and Housing Policy allows for victims to end tenancies on behalf of both tenants and be issued a new sole tenancy, but this is dependent on circumstances and requires no outstanding breaches or arrears.

A significant concern raised was the lack of a specific legal mechanism for social landlords to support survivors in transferring joint tenancies to sole tenancies. The Commission noted the UK Government's statutory guidance, which advises evicting perpetrators and allowing victims to remain in their homes with new tenancy agreements. However, current possession claims are limited and do not directly address the survivor's need to remain safely in their home.

The Council is actively involved in an Inter-Borough Working Group on Joint Tenancies & Domestic Abuse, aiming to share best practice and address common issues. Nationally, there is a proposed Domestic Abuse Tenancy Transfer Order designed to simplify the legal process for transferring joint tenancies. The Commission endorsed this proposal and suggested that local authorities should also be able to apply for such orders with the survivor's consent.

Key desired outcomes included reviewing the Council's data collection on domestic abuse, exploring reciprocal arrangements with neighbouring local authorities, and advocating for a national body to hold local authorities accountable for systemic gatekeeping in homelessness legislation. The Commission also stressed the importance of using all available evidence, such as Non-Molestation Orders and Domestic Violence Protection Orders, when taking action against perpetrators, and reviewing how coercive control is documented and acted upon.

Scrutiny Reports, Letters & Responses

The Commission noted that it had sent a letter to the Executive outlining its findings and suggestions for improvement on the forthcoming Housing Strategy 2026-31. The Executive's response would be presented to the Commission at a future meeting.

Scrutiny Action Tracker

The Commission reviewed the actions tracker, noting completed and ongoing actions. A specific request was made for further information regarding housing register applications in domestic abuse situations involving single applicants and other household members.

Living in Hackney Work Programme 2025/26

The Commission reviewed its work programme for the remainder of the municipal year. A request was made to add an item concerning the Council's temporary accommodation hostel visitors policy, following a recent report by Shelter.

Minutes of the Meeting

The draft minutes of the previous meeting held on 8th December 2025 were presented and agreed as an accurate record.