Garden Court North’s Pragnya Iovine successfully defends vulnerable family of five from eviction
21 August 2026
The Judge struck out the Section 21 eviction claim at the Manchester Civil Justice Centre (pictured). Credit: Marmalade Photos / Shutterstock.
Garden Court North pupil Pragnya Iovine has successfully defended an eviction case brought by the Claimant landlord against the Defendant, ‘Mr E’, in a hearing on 14 August 2026.
Mr E is disabled and lives at the property with his wife and three children.
The landlord attempted to evict Mr E and his family using the former Section 21 notice for ‘no fault’ evictions, which is no longer applicable following the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act on 1 May 2026. The landlord served this claim prior to the Act coming into force.
Strict requirements for gas safety certification
During the hearing, Pragnya applied to strike out the landlord’s claim, arguing that the landlord had disclosed no reasonable grounds for bringing the claim, as one of the gas safety certificates provided to Mr E during his tenancy did not comply with the required regulations, and that the Section 21 notice was therefore invalid.
The Judge struck out the landlord’s claim and instructed the Claimant to pay Mr E’s legal costs. She noted that the requirements for serving a Section 21 notices are strict – particularly in relation to gas safety certificates – and that non-compliance can lead to dismissed claims.
Pragnya based her argument on the recent Court of Appeal case of El Amrani v Muca, Harker v Hubert [2026] EWCA Civ 515 (30 April 2026).
The legal landscape for cases concerning the validity of gas safety certificates may shift yet again, amid the ongoing case in the Supreme Court of Harker and others (Appellants) v Hubert and another (Respondents) UKSC/2026/0067.
During her pupillage at Garden Court North, Pragnya has worked extensively alongside the housing and homelessness team. She was instructed to represent Mr E by Rosie Coan of Greater Manchester Law Centre.
For further information, please contact Alex Blair, Communications Manager at Garden Court North Chambers: ablair@gcnchambers.co.uk
