Housing (Wales) Act 2014

33 Rent repayment orders: further provision

(1) Where, on an application by the licensing authority or a local housing authority (as the case may be) for a rent repayment order, the tribunal is satisfied—

(a) that a person has been convicted of an offence under section 7(5) or 13(3) in relation to the dwelling to which the application relates, and

(b) that—

(i) one or more relevant awards of universal credit were paid (whether or not to the appropriate person), or

(ii) housing benefit was paid (whether or not to the appropriate person) in respect of periodical payments payable in connection with a domestic tenancy of the dwelling during any period during which it appears to the tribunal that such an offence was being committed in relation to the dwelling in question,

the tribunal must make a rent repayment order requiring the appropriate person to pay to the authority which made the application the amount mentioned in subsection (2); but this is subject to subsections (3), (4) and (8).

(2) The amount is—

(a) an amount equal to—

(i) where one relevant award of universal credit was paid as mentioned in subsection (1)(b)(i), the amount included in the calculation of that award under section 11 of the Welfare Reform Act 2012, calculated in accordance with Schedule 4 to the Universal Credit Regulations 2013 (housing costs element for renters) (SI 2013/376) or any corresponding provision replacing that Schedule, or the amount of the award if less, or

(ii) if more than one such award was paid as mentioned in subsection (1)(b)(i), the sum of the amounts included in the calculation of those awards as referred to in sub-paragraph (i), or the sum of the amounts of those awards if less, or

(b) an amount equal to the total amount of housing benefit paid as mentioned in subsection (1)(b)(ii) (as the case may be).

(3) If the total of the amounts received by the appropriate person in respect of periodical payments payable as mentioned in paragraph (b) of subsection (1) (“the rent total”) is less than the amount mentioned in subsection (2), the amount required to be paid by virtue of a rent repayment order made in accordance with subsection (1) is limited to the rent total.

(4) A rent repayment order made in accordance with subsection (1) may not require the payment of any amount which the tribunal is satisfied that, by reason of any exceptional circumstances, it would be unreasonable for that person to be required to pay.

(5) In a case where subsection (1) does not apply, the amount required to be paid by virtue of a rent repayment order is to be such amount as the tribunal considers reasonable in the circumstances; but this is subject to subsections (6) to (8).

(6) In such a case, the tribunal must take into account the following matters—

(a) the total amount of relevant payments paid in connection with a tenancy of the dwelling during any period during which it appears to the tribunal that an offence was being committed in relation to the dwelling under section 7(5) or 13(3);

(b) the extent to which that total amount—

(i) consisted of, or derived from, payments of relevant awards of universal credit or housing benefit, and

(ii) was actually received by the appropriate person;

(c) whether the appropriate person has at any time been convicted of an offence under section 7(5) or 13(3);

(d) the conduct and financial circumstances of the appropriate person; and

(e) where the application is made by a tenant, the conduct of the tenant.

(7) In subsection (6) “relevant payments” means—

(a) in relation to an application by the licensing authority or a local housing authority (as the case may be), payments of relevant awards of universal credit, housing benefit or periodical payments payable by tenants;

(b) in relation to an application by a tenant, periodical payments payable by the tenant, less—

(i) where one or more relevant awards of universal credit were payable during the period in question, the amount mentioned in subsection (2)(a) in respect of the award or awards that related to the tenancy during that period, or

(ii) any amount of housing benefit payable in respect of the tenancy of the dwelling during the period in question.

(8) A rent repayment order may not require the payment of any amount which—

(a) where the application is made by the licensing authority or a local housing authority (as the case may be), is in respect of any time falling outside the period of 12 months ending with the date of the notice of intended proceedings given under section 32(6), or

(b) where the application is made by a tenant, is in respect of any time falling outside the period of 12 months ending with the date of the tenant’s application under section 32(1);

and the period to be taken into account under subsection (6)(a) is restricted accordingly.

(9) Any amount payable by virtue of a rent repayment order is recoverable as a debt due to the licensing authority, local housing authority or tenant (as the case may be) from the appropriate person.

(10) And an amount payable to the licensing authority or a local housing authority by virtue of such an order does not, when recovered by it, constitute an amount of universal credit or housing benefit (as the case may be) recovered by the authority.

(11) Subsections (8), (9) and (10) of section 32 apply for the purposes of this section as they apply for the purposes of section 32.