Housing Act 1969



Housing Act 1969

1969 CHAPTER 33

An Act to make further provision for grants by local authorities and contributions out of moneys provided by Parliament towards the cost of providing dwellings by conversion or of improving dwellings and houses; to confer powers on local authorities to improve living conditions by improving the amenities of areas or of dwellings therein; to amend the law with regard to rents payable for certain dwellings in good repair and provided with certain amenities or improved with the assistance of local authorities; to make further provision with regard to houses in multiple occupation; to make further provision for payments in respect of unfit houses subject to compulsory purchase, clearance, demolition or closing orders; to alter the legal standard of fitness for human habitation and confer additional powers on local authorities to require the repair of houses; to amend the law relating to long tenancies and modify section 9(1) of the Leasehold Reform Act 1967; to amend Part II of the Housing Subsidies Act 1967; to amend section 46 of the Rent Act 1968; to increase the fine which may be imposed under section 170 of the Housing Act 1957; and for purposes connected with those matters.

[25th July 1969]

Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

I Financial assistance towards cost of improvements and conversions

Part I

Financial assistance towards cost of improvements and conversions

Grants by local authorities

Grants by local authorities

S-1 Improvement grants, standard grants and special grants.

1 Improvement grants, standard grants and special grants.

(1) Grants shall be payable by local authorities in accordance with the following provisions of this Part of this Act towards the cost of works required for—

(a ) the provision of dwellings by the conversion of houses or other buildings;

(b ) the improvement of dwellings; or

(c ) the improvement of houses in multiple occupation by the provision of standard amenities;

where the provision or improvement is by a person other than a housing authority.

(2) A grant under this Part of this Act is in this Act referred to as—

(a ) an improvement grant, if the works are required for the provision of a dwelling or for the improvement of a dwelling not consisting or not wholly consisting of the provision of standard amenities which the dwelling lacks;

(b ) a standard grant, if the works are required for the improvement of a dwelling by the provision of standard amenities which it lacks;

(c ) a special grant if the works are required for the improvement of a house in multiple occupation by the provision of standard amenities.

Improvement grants

S-2 Improvement grants.

2 Improvement grants.

(1) A local authority may pay an improvement grant if an application therefor is made in accordance with this section and approved by them.

(2) Such an application must contain particulars of the works and an estimate of their cost, and such other particulars as the Minister may specify.

(3) Subject to subsection (4) of this section, a local authority shall not entertain an application for an improvement grant if the cost of the works as estimated in the application is less than 100 or such other amount as may for the time being be prescribed.

(4) Where, not more than three years before the making of the application, a standard grant was made in respect of the dwelling (or one of the dwellings) to which the application relates and the application contains a statement of the cost towards which the standard grant was made, that cost shall be deemed, for the purposes of the preceding subsection, to be added to that estimated in the application.

(5) Where an application for an improvement grant relates to more than one dwelling then—

(a ) if the dwellings are to be provided by the conversion of a house or other building, the cost referred to in subsection (3) of this section is the cost of the works divided by the number of dwellings; and

(b ) if the dwellings are to be improved, the cost referred to in subsection (3) of this section is so much of the cost of the works as is in the opinion of the local authority attributable to any one dwelling.

(6) Subject to section 25 of this Act, a local authority shall not entertain an application for an improvement grant unless they are satisfied that the applicant has, in every parcel of land on which the works specified in the application are to be or have been carried out, an interest which is either an estate in fee simple absolute in possession or a term of years absolute of which not less than five years remain unexpired at the date of the application.

S-3 Conditions for approval of application forimprovement grant.

3 Conditions for approval of application forimprovement grant.

(1) A local authority shall not approve an application for an improvement grant if the works specified therein have been begun unless they are satisfied that there were good reasons for beginning the works before the application was approved.

(2) A local authority shall not approve an application for an improvement grant unless they are satisfied that the dwelling or dwellings to which the application relates will provide satisfactory housing accommodation for such period and conform with such requirements with respect to construction and physical conditions and the provision of services and amenities as may for the time being be specified for the purposes of this section by the Minister.

S-4 Approval of application for improvement grant.

4 Approval of application for improvement grant.

(1) Where a local authority approve an application for an improvement grant they shall determine the amount of the expenses which, in their opinion, are proper to be incurred for the execution of the works specified in the application and shall notify the applicant of that amount; and the amount so notified is in this Part of this Act referred to as the approved expense of the works.

(2) The approved expense of any works shall not allow for works of repair and replacement more than one-half of that expense or such other part thereof as may for the time being be prescribed.

(3) Where the applicant satisfies the local authority that the works specified in the application cannot be or could not have been carried out without the carrying out of additional works and that this could not have been reasonably foreseen at the time the application was made the local authority may substitute a higher amount as the amount of the approved expense.

(4) In approving an application for an improvement grant a local authority may require as a condition of paying the grant that the works specified in the application are carried out within such time (which must not be less than twelve months) as the local authority may specify or such further time as the local authority may allow.

S-5 Amount of improvement grant.

5 Amount of improvement grant.

(1) The amount of an improvement grant shall be such amount as may be fixed by the local authority when they approve the application for the grant, but shall not exceed—

(a ) one half of the approved expense of the works, nor

(b ) subject to subsection (3) of this section, the limit imposed by or under subsection (2) of this section.

(2) The limit is the amount or, if the application relates to more than one dwelling, the aggregate of the amounts, applicable under the following paragraphs, that is to say,—

(a ) 1,000, or such other amount as may be prescribed, if the dwelling is improved by the works or is provided by them otherwise than mentioned in paragraph (b ) of this subsection; and

(b ) 1,200, or such other amount as may be prescribed, if the dwelling is provided by the conversion of a house or other building consisting of three or more storeys.

(3) The limit imposed by or under subsection (2) of this section may be exceeded by such amount as the Minister may approve, if the local authority are satisfied in a particular case that there are good reasons for fixing a higher amount; and the approval of the Minister may be given either with respect to a particular case or with respect to a class of case.

(4) For the purposes of this section, where an improvement grant is to be paid towards the cost of works required for the provision of a dwelling all or part of which is in the basement of a building the basement shall count as a storey.

S-6 Payment of improvement grant.

6 Payment of improvement grant.

(1) An improvement grant may be paid after the completion of the works towards the cost of which it is payable or part of it may be paid in instalments as the works progress and the balance after the completion of the works.

(2) Where part of a,n improvement grant is paid in instalments the aggregate of the instalments paid shall not at any time before the completion of the works exceed one half of the aggregate cost of the works executed up to that time.

(3) The payment of an improvement grant or of any part thereof shall be conditional upon the works or the corresponding part of the works being executed to the satisfaction of the local authority.

(4) If an instalment of an improvement grant is paid before the completion of the works and the works are not completed within the time specified in subsection (5) of this...

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