Housing Act 1985

[F199A Right to compensation for improvements.E+W

(1)The powers conferred by this section shall be exercisable as respects cases where a secure tenant has made an improvement and—

(a)the work on the improvement was begun not earlier than the commencement of section 122 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993,

(b)the landlord, or a predecessor in title of the landlord (being a local authority), has given its written consent to the improvement or is to be treated as having given its consent, and

(c)at the time when the tenancy comes to an end the landlord is a local authority and the tenancy is a secure tenancy.

(2)The Secretary of State may make regulations for entitling the qualifying person or persons (within the meaning given by section 99B)—

(a)at the time when the tenancy comes to an end, and

(b)subject to and in accordance with the regulations,

to be paid compensation by the landlord in respect of the improvement.

(3)The regulations may provide that compensation shall be not payable if—

(a)the improvement is not of a prescribed description,

(b)the tenancy comes to an end in prescribed circumstances,

(c)compensation has been paid under section 100 in respect of the improvement, or

(d)the amount of any compensation which would otherwise be payable is less than a prescribed amount;

and for the purposes of this subsection a prescribed description may be framed by reference to any circumstances whatever.

(4)The regulations may provide that the amount of any compensation payable shall not exceed a prescribed amount but, subject to that, shall be determined by the landlord, or calculated, in such manner, and taking into account such matters, as may be prescribed.

(5)The regulations may also make such procedural, incidental, supplementary and transitional provisions as may appear to the Secretary of State necessary or expedient, and may in particular—

(a)provide for the manner in which and the period within which claims for compensation under the regulations are to be made, and for the procedure to be followed in determining such claims,

(b)prescribe the form of any document required to be used for the purposes of or in connection with such claims,

(c)provide for questions arising under the regulations to be determined by the district valuer or the county court, and

(d)enable the landlord to set off against any compensation payable under the regulations any sums owed to it by the qualifying person or persons.

(6)Nothing in subsections (3) to (5) shall be taken as prejudicing the generality of subsection (2).

(7)Regulations under this section—

(a)may make different provision with respect to different cases or descriptions of case, including different provision for different areas, and

(b)shall be made by statutory instrument which (except in the case of regulations making only such provision as is mentioned in subsection (5)(b)) shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

(8)For the purposes of this section and section 99B, a tenancy shall be treated as coming to an end if—

(a)it ceases to be a secure tenancy by reason of the landlord condition no longer being satisfied, or

(b)it is assigned, with the consent of the landlord—

(i)to another secure tenant who satisfies the condition in subsection (2) of section 92 (assignments by way of exchange), or

(ii)to an assured tenant who satisfies the conditions in subsection (2A) of that section.

[F2(9)In this section—

(a) “ secure tenancy ” does not include a secure tenancy that is a flexible tenancy, and

(b) “ secure tenant ” does not include a tenant under a secure tenancy that is a flexible tenancy. ]]