The Rent Officers (Universal Credit Functions) Order 2013

Broad rental market area determinations U.K.

3.—(1) Broad rental market area determinations taking effect on 29th April 2013 are determined in accordance with paragraph (7) and all other broad rental market area determinations are determined in accordance with paragraphs (2) to (6).

(2) A rent officer must, at such times as the rent officer considers appropriate and if the Secretary of State agrees—

(a) determine one or more broad rental market areas; and

(b) in respect of that broad rental market area, or those broad rental market areas, give to the Secretary of State a notice which identifies the local authority areas and the postcodes contained within the broad rental market area (or each of them).

[F1 (2A) The power in paragraph (2) is not limited by paragraph [F2 2(2)] of Schedule 1.]

(3) A broad rental market area is an area within which a person could reasonably be expected to live having regard to facilities and services for the purposes of health, education, recreation, personal banking and shopping, taking account of the distance of travel, by public and private transport, to and from those facilities and services.

(4) A broad rental market area must contain—

(a) residential premises of a variety of types, including such premises held on a variety of tenures; and

(b) sufficient privately rented residential premises to ensure that, in the rent officer's opinion, the local housing allowance for the categories of accommodation in the area for which the rent officer is required to determine a local housing allowance is representative of the rents that a landlord might reasonably be expected to obtain in that area.

(5) Every part of Great Britain must fall within a broad rental market area and a broad rental market area must not overlap with another broad rental market area.

(6) Any broad rental market area determination made in accordance with paragraph (2) is to take effect—

(a) on the day the determination is made for the purpose of enabling a rent officer to determine a local housing allowance for that area; and

[F3 (b) for all other purposes on the next relevant Monday following the day on which the determination is made.]

(7) For broad rental market area determinations that take effect on 29th April 2013, a rent officer must use the broad rental market area determinations determined in accordance with article 4B of, and Schedule 3B to, the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) Order 1997 M1 or the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) (Scotland) Order 1997 M2 that apply on 29th April 2013.

[F4 (8) “Relevant Monday” has the same meaning as in article 4(4).]

Textual Amendments

F1 Art. 3(2A) inserted (23.1.2017) by The Rent Officers (Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Functions) (Local Housing Allowance Amendments) Order 2016 (S.I. 2016/1179), arts. 1, 4(2)

F2 Word in art. 3(2A) substituted (30.1.2020) by The Rent Officers (Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Functions) (Amendment) Order 2020 (S.I. 2020/27), arts. 1, 4(2)

F3 Art. 3(6)(b) substituted (31.1.2022) by The Rent Officers (Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Functions) (Amendment and Modification) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/1380), arts. 1(1), 4(2)

F4 Art. 3(8) inserted (26.1.2018) by The Rent Officers (Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Functions) (Amendment) Order 2017 (S.I. 2017/1323), arts. 1, 4(2)(b)

Marginal Citations

M1 S.I. 1997/1984. Article 4B was inserted by S.I. 2003/2398 and amended by S.I. 2006/217, 2007/2871, 2008/587, 2010/2836 and 2012/646. Schedule 3B was inserted by S.I. 2007/2871 and amended by S.I. 2008/3156, 2009/2459, 2010/2836 and 2012/646.

M2 S.I. 1997/1995. Article 4B was inserted by S.I. 2003/2398 and amended by S.I. 2006/217, 2007/2871, 2008/587, 2010/2836 and 2012/646. Schedule 3B was inserted by S.I. 2007/2871 and amended by S.I. 2008/3156, 2009/2459, 2010/2836 and 2012/646.