Housing Repairs and Rents Act 1954

24Rent not to be increased above twice gross value

(1)If the rent recoverable in respect of any period, apart from any repairs increase and excluding the amounts mentioned in subsection (3) of this section, equals or exceeds twice the gross value of the dwelling-house, no sum shall be recoverable in respect of that period by way of repairs increase.

(2)Where apart from this subsection the amount recoverable by way of repairs increase in respect of any period would be such as to bring the rent recoverable in respect of that period, including the increase but excluding the amounts mentioned in the next following subsection, above twice the gross value of the dwelling-house, the amount recoverable as aforesaid shall be reduced so that the said rent recoverable by the landlord in respect of that period is equal to twice the gross value.

(3)The amounts to be excluded as aforesaid are the following:—

(a)any amount payable by the landlord in respect of the period in question for rates (including water rents and charges) chargeable on, or which but for the provisions of any Act would be chargeable on, the occupier;

(b)any part of the rent recoverable for the period in question which may have been agreed in writing between the landlord and the tenant or a former tenant of the dwelling-house (whether the agreement was made before or after the beginning of the tenancy or former tenancy), or at any time determined by the tribunal constituted under the Act of 1946 for the district in which the dwelling-house is situated, to represent payment for furniture or services used or provided under the terms of the tenancy or statutory tenancy current during the period in question;

(c)any amount recoverable for the period in question by virtue of paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section two of the Act of 1920 (which allows increases of rent in respect of improvements, structural alterations, and additional or improved fixtures or fittings).

(4)Subsection (2) of section seven of the Act of 1938 (which relates to the ascertainment of the amount payable by the landlord for rates) shall apply for the purposes of this section as it applies for the purpose of computing the increase of rent permissible under paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section two of the Act of 1920.

(5)In this section references to the gross value of a dwelling-house shall be construed, in relation to any period longer or shorter than a year, as references to the gross value thereof increased or reduced, as the case may require, in the proportion which the period bears to a year.