Garden Court North’s housing team pay tribute to Giles Peaker
22 April 2026
Giles Peaker (pictured). Credit: Anthony Gold.
The members of the Garden Court North Chambers’ housing team are deeply sorry to hear of the death of Giles Peaker over the weekend of 18-19 April 2026.
Giles was the founder of Nearly Legal, an extraordinary housing law resource he set up in 2006 when he was not yet qualified as a solicitor after an earlier career as a Senior Lecturer in Art History. He was described as ’The Banksy of Housing Law’ as Giles was anonymous when he started the blog, which soon gained a large following .
It soon was recognised as an indispensable resource nobody else had thought of. It contained such wonders as his Section 21 flowchart navigating advisers through the tangled web of deposit protection and prescribed requirements to erudite, thought-provoking analysis of new cases and legislation.
Giles was also a partner in Anthony Gold Solicitors, acting in many of the most important housing law cases of recent years. He was often the go-to “amicus” solicitor acting for interested parties in cases where interveners were necessary to ensure the court was aware of all the consequential issues that might arise. He was, however, equally committed to all of his clients irrespective of their cases and worked tirelessly for them.
In addition to his blog, Giles was a highly influential commentator on housing law in the media. He was also an entertaining speaker, often making difficult concepts clear and easy to understand while never forgetting that he was not only addressing lawyers but advisers, decision-makers and indeed landlords and tenants.
Memorably, the talk he gave on disrepair in September 2018 to the North West Housing Law Practitioners was received as particularly helpful and illuminating by lawyers and advisers in this region. Giles was also Chair of the Housing Law Practitioners Association for several years.
A tribute from James Stark
Garden Court North’s James Stark added his own personal tribute to Giles.
“I was lucky enough to meet and get to know Giles from his early Nearly Legal days after he kindly referred to the fact that my argument from a lower court had been accepted in a latter House of Lords case. We communicated by DM and e-mail over the years. He was a very likeable man and it was always a pleasure to see him at LALY awards ceremonies. I was touched by his support and congratulations when I won an award.”
“I cannot imagine that there is any good housing lawyer or adviser who has not read his blog. I suspect many a judge confronted by a difficult issue looked up what he thought. Junior lawyers getting into housing law have found it indispensable as, it seems, have politicians and decision-makers.”
“Perhaps the greatest testament to Giles as a housing lawyer is the work he and Justin Bates KC did with Karen Buck MP on getting the Housing (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 on to the statute book at last remedying the unfairness for tenants whose homes were unfit to live in but not regarded as technically in disrepair.”
“Only a couple of weeks ago I thought of sending him a transcript I thought he would find interesting and was concerned to see he had put the blog on hold in March. It was shocking and very sad to read the news of his passing.”
“Our deepest condolences go to his family, friends and colleagues at Anthony Gold.”
Additional media
Anthony Gold – Anthony Gold Partner Giles Peaker sadly passes away
Nearly Legal – Giles Peaker
Law Society Gazette – ‘Legendary’ housing solicitor Giles Peaker dies after short illness
For further information, please contact Alex Blair, Communications Manager at Garden Court North Chambers: ablair@gcnchambers.co.uk
