Housing (Scotland) Act 1987

61 Secure tenant’s right to purchaseS

(1)Notwithstanding anything contained in any agreement, a tenant of a house to which this section applies (or such one or more of joint tenants as may be agreed between them) shall, subject to this Part, have the right to purchase the house at a price fixed under section 62.

(2)This section applies to every house let under a [F1Scottish] secure tenancy where—

(a)the landlord is [F2, or was when the tenancy was granted,] either—

[F3(i)a local authority, or a joint board or joint committee of two or more local authorities, or the common good of a local authority or any trust under the control of a local authority; or

[F4(ia)a registered social landlord; or

[F5(iia)Scottish Water;]]]

(iii). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F6(iv). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F6(v). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F6(vi). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F6(vii). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F6(viii). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F6(ix). . . and

(b)the landlord is the heritable proprietor of the house F7. . .; and

(c)immediately prior to the date of service of an application to purchase, the tenant has been for not less than [F85 years] in occupation of a house (including accommodation provided as mentioned in subsection (11)(n)) or of a succession of houses provided by any persons mentioned in subsection (11).

[F9(2A)For the purposes of subsection (2)(c), where the house was provided by a body which, at any time while the house was so provided, was not a registered social landlord, the body shall, if it became a registered social landlord at any later time, be deemed to have been a registered social landlord.]

(3)This section also applies to a house let under a [F10Scottish] secure tenancy granted in pursuance of section [F11282(2) or (3)] (grant of [F10Scottish] secure tenancy on acquisition of defective dwelling), if the tenant would not otherwise have the right to purchase under this Part; and where it so applies—

(a)paragraph (c) of subsection (2) shall not have effect;

[F12(b)the words “beyond 5” in section 62(3)(b) and “after 5” in section 62(5)(b) shall not have effect.]

(4)This section does not apply—

F13(a). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F13(b). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(c)where [F14a landlord which is a registered social landlord] has at no time let (or had available for letting) more than 100 dwellings;

[F15(ca)where a landlord which is a registered social landlord is a co-operative housing association;] or

F13(d). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[F16(e)where a registered social landlord is registered as such by virtue of section 57(2) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 (asp 10) and was, on the date on which that Act received Royal Assent, a recognised body within the meaning of section 1(7) (Scottish charities) of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1990 (c.40);]

[F17(ea)to a house that is one of a group of houses which has been designed for persons with special needs where one or more of the following conditions is satisfied—

(i)the houses are provided with, or situated near, special facilities for use by their tenants (whether or not exclusively),

(ii)the tenants of the houses are provided with housing support services (within the meaning of section 91 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 (asp 10)).]

(f). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F18(4A). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5)Where the spouse of a tenant or, where there is a joint tenancy, the spouse of a joint tenant, occupies the house as his only or principal home but is not himself a joint tenant, the right to purchase the house under subsection (1) shall not be exercised without the consent of such spouse.

(6)A tenant may exercise his right to purchase, if he so wishes, together with one or more members of his family acting as joint purchasers, provided—

(a)that such members are at least 18 years of age, that they have, during the period of 6 months ending with the date of service of the application to purchase, had their only or principal home with the tenant and that their residence in the house is not a breach of any obligation of the tenancy; or

(b)where the requirements of paragraph (a) are not satisfied, the landlord has consented.

F18(7). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F18(8). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F18(9). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(10)In this section and [F19section 62]—

(a)references to occupation of a house [F20are to continuous occupation and] include occupation—

(i)in the case of joint tenants, by any one of them;

(ii)by any person occupying the house rent-free;

(iii)as the spouse of the tenant, joint tenant or of any such person;

(iv)as the child, or the spouse of a child, of a tenant or a person occupying the house rent free who has succeeded, directly or indirectly, to the rights of that person in a house occupation of which would be reckonable for the purposes of this section; but only in relation to any period when the child, or as the case may be spouse of the child, is at least 16 years of age; or

(v). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F21, as a member of the family of a tenant or a person occupying the house rent free who, not being that person’s spouse or child (or child’s spouse), has succeeded, directly or indirectly, to such rights as are mentioned in paragraph (iv); but only in relation to any period when the member of the family is at least 16 years of age.

(b)for the purpose of determining the period of occupation—

F22(i). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F22(ii). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[F23(iii)there shall be added to the period of occupation of a house by a joint tenant any earlier period during which he was at least 16 years of age and occupied the house as a member of the family of the tenant or of one or more of the joint tenants of the house.]

[F24(iv)the landlord may, if it thinks fit, disregard as not affecting continuity any interruption in occupation which appears to it to result from circumstances outwith the control of the person in question.]

(11)The persons providing houses reffered to in subsection (2)(c) (occupation requirement for excercise of right to purchase) and in section 62(3)(b) (calculation of the discount from the market value) are—

(a)[F25any local authority] in Scotland; any local authority in England and Wales or in Northern Ireland; and the statutory predecessors of any such F26. . . authority, or the common good of any such [F25authority], or any trust under the control of any such [F25authority];

[F27(aa)a registered social landlord;]

(b)the Commission for the New Towns;

(c)a development corporation, an urban development corporation; and any development corporation established under corresponding legislation in England and Wales or in Northern Ireland; and the statutory predecessors of any such authority;

[F28(d)Scottish Homes and the Scottish Special Housing Association;]

(e)a registered housing association;

(f)the Housing Corporation;

(g)a housing co-operative within the meaning of section 22 or a housing co-operative within the meaning of section 27B of the M1Housing Act 1985;

F29(h). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(i)the Northern Ireland Housing Executive or any statutory predecessor;

(j)a police authority or the statutory predecessors of any such authority;

(k)a fire authority or the statutory predecessors of any such authority;

(l)[F30Scottish Water]; any water authority constituted under corresponding legislation in England and Wales or in Northern Ireland; and the statutory predecessors of [F31Scottish Water and]any such authority;

(m)the Secretary of State, where the house was at the material time used for the purposes of the Scottish Prison Service or of a prison service for which the Home Office or the Northern Ireland Office have responsibility;

(n)the Crown, in relation to accommodation provided in connection with service whether by the tenant or his spouse as a member of the regular armed forces of the Crown;

(o)the Secretary of State, where the house was at the material time used for the purposes of a health board constituted under section 2 of the M2National Health Services (Scotland) Act 1978 or for the purposes of a corresponding board in England and Wales, or for the purposes of the statutory predecessors of any such board; or the Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland, where the house was at the material time used for the purposes of a Health and Personal Services Board in Northern Ireland, or for the purposes of the statutory predecessors of any such board;

(p)the Secretary of State, or the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, where the house was at the material time used for the purposes of the Forestry Commission;

(q)the Secretary of State, where the house was at the material time used for the purposes of a State Hospital provided by him under section 90 of the M3Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 or for the purposes of any hospital provided under corresponding legislation in England and Wales;

(r)the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses;

(s)the Trinity House;

(t)the Secretary of State, where the house was at the material time used for the purposes of Her Majesty’s Coastguard;

(u)the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority;

(v)the Secretary of State, where the house was at the material time used for the purposes of any function transferred to him under section 1(2) of the M4Defence (Transfer of Functions) Act 1964 or any function relating to defence conferred on him by or under any subsequent enactment;

(w)such other person as the Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament prescribe.