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Expert guides on tenant rights, rent increases, and the Section 13 process in England.
Equality Act 2010 s.15: the disability discrimination defence to possession (tenant walkthrough, 2026)
Section 15 of the Equality Act 2010 is one of the most underused defences in housing law. It runs alongside any Section 8 ground — mandatory or discretionary — and forces the landlord to justify possession as a proportionate means of a legitimate aim. Here is the plain-English walkthrough, with a paragraph you can paste straight into your N11 defence.
Section 8 Ground 14 (anti-social behaviour) defence: the tenant evidence walkthrough (RRA, 2026)
Ground 14 is the anti-social behaviour ground for possession. It is discretionary - the judge has to decide it is reasonable to evict before any order is made. That word - reasonable - is the entire defence. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 left Ground 14 unchanged but tightened other grounds, so landlords who would previously have reached for Section 21 are pushing more cases onto Ground 14. This walkthrough covers what Ground 14 says, the proportionality test the judge applies, the seven evidence categories that swing the hearing, the N11A defence form section by section, and the witness-statement skeleton. A suspended order on terms is the realistic and acceptable outcome.