Search Legislation

Housing and Regeneration Act 2008

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

Please note:

All reference to 'Parts' and 'sections' are from the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008. For other versions of these Explanatory Notes, see More Resources.

  1. Introduction

  2. Background and Summary

  3. Structure of the Act

    1. Territorial Extent

    2. Territorial Application:  Wales

    3. Part 1 - the Homes and Communities Agency

      1. Chapter 1 - General

        1. Section 1 - Establishment and constitution

        2. Sections 2 to 4 – Objects: Principal powers: Powers: general

      2. Chapter 2 - Land and infrastructure

        1. General

          1. Sections 5 to 7 – Powers to provide housing or other land; Powers for regeneration, development or effective use of land; Powers in relation to infrastructure

        2. Powers to deal with land etc.

          1. Section 8 - Powers to deal with land etc.

          2. Section 9 - Acquisition of land

          3. Section 10 - Restrictions on disposal of land

        3. Powers in relation to acquired land

          1. Section 11 - Main powers in relation to acquired land

          2. Section 12 - Powers in relation to, and for, statutory undertakers

        4. Planning

          1. Sections 13 and 14 - Power of Secretary of State to make designation orders; The HCA as the local planning authority; Contents of designation orders

          2. Section 15 – HCA as local planning authority: local involvement

          3. Section 16 - Regional planning

        5. Other powers etc. in relation to land

          1. Sections 17 and 18 - Power to enter and survey land; Section 17: supplementary

      3. Chapter 3 - Financial provision

        1. Powers to give financial assistance

          1. Section 19 - Financial assistance

        2. Borrowing powers of the HCA

          1. Section 20 - Powers to borrow

          2. Section 21 - Loans by the Secretary of State

          3. Section 22 - Guarantees by the Secretary of State

          4. Section 23 - Financial limits

        3. Other

          1. Section 24 - Power to charge for certain activities

          2. Section 25 - Directions as to surplus funds

          3. Section 26 - Duty to act as agent in respect of regeneration and development

          4. Section 27 - Duty to act as agent in respect of derelict land etc.

      4. Chapter 4 - Other functions of the HCA

        1. General

          1. Section 28 - Business

          2. Section 29 - Powers to form companies etc.

          3. Section 30 - Community services

        2. Social housing

          1. Section 31 - Duties in relation to social housing

          2. Section 32 – Recovery etc. of social housing assistance

          3. Section 33: interest and successors in title

          4. Section 34 – Determinations under sections 32 and 33

          5. Section 35 - Duty to give financial assistance in respect of certain disposals

          6. Section 36 - Information in relation to social housing

          7. Section 37 - Duty to co-operate with Regulator of Social Housing

        3. Information, education and guidance etc.

          1. Sections 38 and 39 - Information services; Advice, education and training

          2. Section 40 - Guidance

        4. Functions in relation to companies and other persons

          1. Section 41 - Control of subsidiaries

          2. Sections 42 and 43 - Agency arrangements with urban development corporations; Acting with, or for other persons: general

          3. Section 44 – Local government involvement

        5. Other

          1. Section 45 - Support services

      5. Chapter 5 - Supplementary

        1. Certain supervisory powers of the Secretary of State

          1. Section 46 - Guidance by the Secretary of State

          2. Section 47 - Directions by the Secretary of State

          3. Section 48 - Consents by the Secretary of State

        2. Abolition of existing bodies

          1. Sections 49 and 50 - Abolition of the Urban Regeneration Agency; Abolition of the Commission for the New Towns

          2. Section 51 - Property etc. transfers to the HCA and the Welsh Ministers

          3. Section 52 - Role of the HCA in relation to former CNT functions

          4. Section 53 - Interim arrangements

        3. Other

          1. Section 54 - Validity of transactions

          2. Section 55 - Notices

          3. Sections 56 to 58 - Consequential amendments: Part 1; Interpretation: Part 1; Index of defined expressions: Part 1

    4. Part 2 – Regulation of Social Housing

      1. Chapter 1 - Introduction

        1. Preliminary

          1. Section 59 – Purpose

          2. Section 60 - Structural overview

          3. Section 61 - Restriction of “registered social landlord” system to Wales

          4. Section 62 - References to Welsh Ministers

          5. Section 63 - References to National Assembly for Wales

          6. Section 64 - Dissolution of Housing Corporation

          7. Section 65 – Transfer schemes

          8. Section 66 – Interim arrangements

          9. Section 67 – Transitional arrangements

        2. Social housing

          1. Section 68 - Basic principle

          2. Section 69 - Low cost rental

          3. Section 70 - Low cost home ownership

          4. Section 71 - Shared ownership low cost rental

          5. Section 72 – Regulations

          6. Section 73 - Leaving the social housing stock: sale

          7. Section 74 - Leaving the social housing stock: expired lease

          8. Section 75 - Leaving the social housing stock: disposal with consent

          9. Section 76 - Leaving the social housing stock: regulator’s direction

          10. Section 77 - Housing stock under Housing Act 1996

        3. Other key concepts

          1. Section 78 – Regulator of Social Housing

          2. Section 79 - English bodies

          3. Section 80 - Provider of social housing

      2. Chapter 2 – The Social Housing Regulator

        1. Constitution

          1. Section 81 - Establishment

          2. Section 82 – Membership

          3. Section 83 – Tenure

          4. Section 84 – Chief executive

          5. Section 85 – Other staff

        2. Proceedings

          1. Section 86 Fundamental objectives

          2. Sections 87 and 88 – Procedure and conflict of interest

          3. Sections 89 and 90 – Committees and delegation

          4. Section 91 – Seal

          5. Section 92 - Annual report

        3. Powers

          1. Section 93 - General

          2. Section 94 - Studies

          3. Section 95 - Financial assistance

          4. Section 96 – Evidence

          5. Section 97 – Information, advice &c.

          6. Section 98 – Tenant involvement

        4. Money

          1. Section 99 – Remuneration

          2. Section 100 – Charging

          3. Section 101 – Assistance by Secretary of State

          4. Section 102 – Borrowing

          5. Sections 103 and 104 – Accounts and Financial year

        5. Relationship with other bodies

          1. Section 105 - Co-operation with the HCA

          2. Section 106 - Direction to the HCA

        6. Information

          1. Section 107 - Collection

          2. Section 108 – Section 107: supplemental

          3. Section 109 - Disclosure

      3. Chapter 3 - Registration

        1. Introduction

          1. Section 110 - Overview

          2. Section 111 – The register

        2. Eligibility

          1. Section 112 - Eligibility for registration

          2. Section 113 - Local authority non-registrable bodies

          3. Section 114 – Registration of local authorities

          4. Section 115 - Profit-making and non-profit organisations

        3. Procedure

          1. Section 116 - Entry

          2. Section 117 - Fees

          3. Section 118 - De-registration: compulsory

          4. Section 119 - De-registration:  voluntary

          5. Section 120 - Notice

          6. Section 121 - Appeal

      4. Chapter 4 – Registered providers

        1. General provisions

          1. Section 122 - Payments to members etc.

          2. Section 123 - Disposal of property

          3. Section 124 – Complaints

          4. Section 125 - Voluntary undertaking

          5. Section 126 – Sustainable community strategies

        2. Accounts

          1. Section 127 - Directions

          2. Section 128 - Submission to regulator

          3. Section 129 - Companies exempt from audit

          4. Section 130 - Exempt companies: accountant’s report

          5. Section 131 - Exempt companies: reporting accountant

          6. Section 132 - Application of Companies Act

          7. Section 133 - Exempt companies: extraordinary audit

          8. Section 134 - Non-audited industrial and provident society

          9. Section 135 - Charity

          10. Section 136 - Charity: audit

          11. Section 137 - Charity:  auditor’s report

          12. Section 138 - Charity:  accountant’s report

          13. Section 139 - Charity:  extraordinary audit

          14. Section 140 - Charity:  auditor’s powers

          15. Section 141 – Offences

          16. Section 142 - High Court

          17. Section 143 - Disclosure

        3. Insolvency etc.

          1. Section 144 - Preparatory steps:  notice

          2. Section 145 - Moratorium

          3. Section 146 - Duration of moratorium

          4. Section 147 - Further moratorium

          5. Section 148 - Effect of moratorium

          6. Section 149 - Exempted disposals

          7. Section 150 - Disposals without consent

          8. Section 151 – interim manager

          9. Section 152 - Proposals

          10. Section 153 - Proposals: procedure

          11. Section 154 - Proposals: effect

          12. Section 155 - Manager:  appointment

          13. Section 156 - Manager:  powers

          14. Section 157 - Manager of industrial and provident society: extra powers

          15. Section 158 - Assistance by regulator

          16. Section 159 - Applications to court

        4. Restructuring and dissolution

          1. Sections 160 to 166

          2. Section 160 - Company: arrangements and reconstructions

          3. Section 161 - Company:  conversion into industrial and provident society

          4. Section 162 - Company:  winding up

          5. Section 163 - Industrial and provident society:  restructuring

          6. Section 164 - Industrial and provident society:  winding up

          7. Section 165 - Industrial and provident society:  dissolution

          8. Section 166 - Winding up petition by the regulator

          9. Section 167 - Transfer of property

          10. Section 168 - Section 167: supplemental

          11. Section 169 - Extension of sections 167 and 168

      5. Chapter 5 - Disposal of property

        1. Introductory

          1. Section 170 - Overview

          2. Section 171 - Power to dispose

        2. Regulator’s consent

          1. Section 172 - Requirement of consent

          2. Section 173 - Exceptions

          3. Section 174 - Procedure

          4. Section 175 - Disposal without consent

          5. Section 176 – Notification where disposal consent not required

        3. Proceeds

          1. Section 177 - Separate accounting

          2. Section 178 – Use of proceeds

        4. Tenants’ rights and duties

          1. Section 179 - Application of Housing Act 1996

          2. Section 180 – Right to Acquire

          3. Section 181 – Interpretation: “publicly funded”

          4. Section 182 – Interpretation: “remained in the social rented sector”

          5. Section 183 - Interpretation: other expressions

          6. Section 184 – Right to acquire: supplemental

          7. Section 185 – Right to acquire: consequential amendments

        5. Miscellaneous

          1. Section 186 - Former registered providers

          2. Section 187 – Change of use, etc.

          3. Section 188 – Trustees

          4. Section 189 – Charities

        6. Consents under other legislation

          1. Section 190 – Consent to disposals under other legislation

          2. Section 191 – Section 190: consequential amendments

      6. Chapter 6 – Regulatory powers

        1. Section 192 - Overview

        2. Standards

          1. Section 193 – Provision of social housing

          2. Section 194 - Management

          3. Section 195 - Code of Practice

          4. Section 196 - Consultation

          5. Section 197 - Direction by Secretary of State

          6. Section 198 – Supplemental

        3. Monitoring

          1. Section 199 - Survey

          2. Section 200 - Survey: supplemental

          3. Section 201 - Inspection

          4. Section 202 – Inspections – supplemental

          5. Section 203 - Inspector’s powers

          6. Section 204 - Performance information

          7. Section 205 - Publication of performance information

          8. Section 206 - Inquiry

          9. Section 207 - Inquiry: supplemental

          10. Section 208 - Inquiry: evidence

          11. Section 209 – Inquiry: charities

          12. Section 210 – Extraordinary audit

        4. Management and constitution

          1. Sections 211 - 214

          2. Section 211 - Non-profit providers only

          3. Section 212 - Industrial and provident society:  change of rules

          4. Section 213 - Charity:  change of objects

          5. Section 214 - Companies: change of articles

        5. Guidance

          1. Section 215 - Use of intervention powers

          2. Section 216 - Consultation

        6. Managers of social housing

          1. Section 217 - Accreditation

      7. Chapter 7 – Enforcement powers

        1. Section 218: exercise of enforcement powers

        2. Section 219 - Overview

        3. Section 220 - Grounds for giving notice

        4. Section 221 - Content

        5. Section 222 – Notifying HCA

        6. Section 223 - Appeal

        7. Section 224 - Withdrawal

        8. Section 225 - Sanction

        9. Penalty

          1. Section 226 - Overview

          2. Section 227 - Grounds for imposition

          3. Section 228 - Imposition

          4. Section 229 - Amount

          5. Section 230 - Warning

          6. Section 231 - Representations

          7. Section 232 – Notifying HCA

          8. Section 233 - Destination

          9. Section 234 - Enforcement

          10. Section 235 - Appeal

        10. Compensation

          1. Section 236 - Overview

          2. Section 237 - Grounds for award

          3. Section 238 - Nature

          4. Section 239 - Housing ombudsman compensation

          5. Section 240 - Award

          6. Section 241 – Impact

          7. Section 242 - Warning

          8. Section 243 - Representations

          9. Section 244 - Enforcement

          10. Section 245 - Appeal

        11. Management etc.

          1. Section 246 - Overview

          2. Section 247 - Management tender

          3. Section 248 - Section 247: Supplemental

          4. Section 249 - Management transfer

          5. Section 250 - Section 249: supplemental

          6. Section 251 - Appointment of manager

          7. Section 252 - Section 251 supplemental

          8. Section 253 - Transfer of land

          9. Section 254 - Section 253: supplemental

          10. Section 255 – Amalgamation

        12. Restrictions on dealings

          1. Section 256 – Restrictions on dealings during inquiry

          2. Section 257 – Restrictions on dealings following inquiry

          3. Section 258 – Restrictions on dealings: supplemental

        13. Suspension and removal of officers

          1. Section 259 – Suspension during inquiry

          2. Section 260 – Removal or suspension following inquiry

          3. Section 261 – Suspension under section 259 or 260: supplemental

          4. Section 262 – Disqualification of removed person

          5. Section 263 – Register of disqualified persons

          6. Section 264 – Acting while disqualified: offence

          7. Section 265 – Acting while disqualified: other consequences

          8. Section 266 – Removal of officers

          9. Section 267 – Section 266: supplemental

          10. Section 268 – Appeal against removal or suspension

          11. Section 269 – Appointment of new officers

      8. Chapter 8 – General

        1. Interpretation

          1. Section 270 - Officer

          2. Section 271 - Subsidiary and associate

          3. Section 272 - Family

          4. Section 273 - Disposal

          5. Section 274 – Charities that have “received public assistance”

          6. Section 275 - General

          7. Section 276 - Index of defined terms: Part 2

        2. Miscellaneous

          1. Section 277 - Consequential amendments

          2. Section 278 – Transitional

    5. Part 3 – Other Provisions

      1. Chapter 1 - Sustainability certificates

        1. General

          1. Section 279 - Certificates for new homes

          2. Section 280 - Meaning of sustainability

          3. Section 281 - Authorised assessors

          4. Section 282 - Register of certificates

        2. Enforcement

          1. Section 283 - Enforcement authorities

          2. Section 284 - Power to require production of certificates or statements

          3. Section 285 - Penalty charge notices

          4. Section 286 - Offences relating to enforcement officers

        3. Supplementary

          1. Section 287 - Grants

          2. Section 288 - Suspension of duties

          3. Section 289 - Disclosure of certificates

          4. Section 290 – General powers to make regulations

          5. Section 291 - Powers to extend Chapter

          6. Section 292 - Chapter 1: interpretation etc.

          7. Section 293 – Index of defined expressions: Chapter 1

      2. Chapter 2 – Landlord and tenant matters

        1. Tenant empowerment

          1. Section 294 - Ballots before certain disposals to private landlords

          2. Section 295 - Management agreements: extending requirements to co-operate

          3. Section 296 - Requirements to co-operate in relation to certain disposals of land

        2. Family intervention tenancies

          1. Section 297 - Family intervention tenancies: general

          2. Section 298 - Certain family intervention tenancies: termination

        3. Possession orders

          1. Section 299 – Possession orders relating to certain tenancies

        4. Leasehold enfranchisement

          1. Section 300 – Right to acquire freehold: abolition of low rent test

          2. Section 301 - Shared ownership leases: protection for certain leases

          3. Section 302 - Shared ownership leases: protection for hard to replace houses

        5. Service charges

          1. Section 303 – Service charges: provision of information and designated accounts

        6. Right to buy etc: miscellaneous

          1. Section 304 – Exclusion of the right to buy: possession orders

          2. Section 305 – Exclusion of the right to buy: demolition notices

          3. Section 306 – Review of determination of value

          4. Section 307 – Approved lending institutions

          5. Section 308 – Former right to buy flats and other flats: service charge loans

          6. Section 309 – Former right to buy and other flats: equity share purchases

          7. Section 310 - Other amendments

        7. Other

          1. Section 311 – Disposals of dwelling-houses by local authorities

          2. Section 312 - Financial assistance for information and other services

      3. Chapter 3 - Housing finance and other provisions

        1. Housing Revenue Account subsidy

          1. Section 313 - Exclusions from subsidy arrangements

        2. Homelessness and allocation of housing

          1. Section 314 – Ineligible persons from abroad: statutory disregards

          2. Section 315 - Armed forces: local connection test

        3. Other

          1. Section 316 – Amendments to Housing Act 1985: lending institutions

          2. Section 317 – Building regulations: time limit for prosecutions

          3. Section 318 – Protected mobile home sites to include sites for gypsies and travellers

          4. Section 319 – Financial assistance for certain services about commonhold

    6. Part 4 – Supplementary and Final Provisions

      1. Section 320 – Orders and regulations

      2. Section 321 – Consequential amendments and repeals

      3. Section 322 – Transitional, transitory or saving provisions

      4. Section 323 – Financial provisions

      5. Sections 324 - 326 – Extent; Commencement; Short title

    7. Schedule 1 – The Homes and Communities Agency

    8. Schedule 2 – Acquisition of land

    9. Schedule 3 – Main powers in relation to land of the HCA

    10. Schedule 4 – Powers in relation to, and for, statutory undertakers

    11. Schedule 5 – Amendments to the New Towns Act 1981

    12. Schedule 6 – Transfer schemes

    13. Schedule 7 – Transfer Schemes: tax

    14. Schedule 8 – Amendments of enactments: Part 1

    15. Schedule 9 – Amendments of enactments: Part 2

    16. Schedule 10 – Penalty charge notices

    17. Schedule 11 – Possession orders relating to certain tenancies

    18. Schedule 12- Service charges: provision of information and designated accounts

    19. Schedule 13 – Demolition notices

    20. Schedule 14 – Disposals of dwelling-houses by local authorities

    21. Schedule 15 – Ineligible persons from abroad: statutory disregards

    22. Schedule 16 – Repeals

  4. Impact Assessment

  5. Commencement Date

  6. Annex A

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

Back to top

Options/Help

Print Options

Close

Explanatory Notes

Text created by the government department responsible for the subject matter of the Act to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes were introduced in 1999 and accompany all Public Acts except Appropriation, Consolidated Fund, Finance and Consolidation Acts.

Close

More Resources

Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • correction slips
  • links to related legislation and further information resources
Close

Impact Assessments

Impact Assessments generally accompany all UK Government interventions of a regulatory nature that affect the private sector, civil society organisations and public services. They apply regardless of whether the regulation originates from a domestic or international source and can accompany primary (Acts etc) and secondary legislation (SIs). An Impact Assessment allows those with an interest in the policy area to understand:

  • Why the government is proposing to intervene;
  • The main options the government is considering, and which one is preferred;
  • How and to what extent new policies may impact on them; and,
  • The estimated costs and benefits of proposed measures.