Housing Act 1964

Improvement of dwellings outside improvement areas

19 Dwellings outside improvement areas

(1) A tenant occupying a dwelling which is not in an improvement area and is not in a tenement block, and which is without one or more of the standard amenities, may make representations in writing to the local authority with a view to the exercise by the local authority of their powers under this section.

(2) The local authority shall notify the person having control of the dwelling of any representations so made.

(3) If on taking the representations into consideration the local authority are satisfied—

(a) that the person making representations with a view to the exercise by the local authority of their powers under this section is a tenant who is occupying the dwelling, and

(b) that the dwelling is capable of improvement at reasonable expense to the full standard or, if not, is capable of improvement at reasonable expense to the reduced standard, and

(c) that, having regard to all the circumstances, the dwelling ought to be improved to the full standard or, as the case may be, to the reduced standard, and that it is unlikely that it will be so improved unless the local authority exercise their powers under this section, and

(d) that the dwelling after being so improved will be in such condition as to be fit for human habitation, and will be likely, subject to normal maintenance, to remain in that condition and available for use as a dwelling for a period of not less than fifteen years,

the local authority may serve a preliminary notice (that is to say a notice containing the particulars to be contained in a preliminary notice under paragraphs (i) and (ii) of section 14(1) of this Act) on the person having control of the dwelling, and shall serve a copy of any preliminary notice so served on the tenant and on every other person who is to the knowledge of the local authority an owner, lessee or mortgagee of the dwelling; and the person having control of the dwelling, and every owner, lessee or mortgagee of the dwelling, shall be entitled to be heard when the local authority's proposals are discussed in accordance with the notice.

If the local authority decide not to serve a preliminary notice under this subsection they shall notify the tenant of the dwelling of their decision and, if the tenant so requests, shall give him a written statement setting out their reasons for making their decision.

(4) After the service of a preliminary notice, the local authority shall take into consideration all representations made on or before the occasion when their proposals with respect to the dwelling are discussed in accordance with the preliminary notice and, in particular, any representations with respect to the nature of the works proposed by the local authority for improving the dwelling ; and at any time after the occasion when the local authority's proposals are so discussed, but not more than two years (or such other period as may be prescribed) after the date when the representations in writing made under subsection (1) of this section were received by them, the local authority may, if satisfied that the dwelling still falls within paragraphs (b), (c) and (d) of subsection (3) of this section, serve a notice (in this Part of this Act referred to as " an immediate improvement notice") on the person having control of the dwelling.

(5) The immediate improvement notice shall require the person having control of the dwelling to carry out the works specified in the improvement notice within twelve months (or such other period as may be prescribed) from the date when the improvement notice becomes operative or such longer period as the local authority by permission given in writing may from time to time allow, and—

(a) the notice shall specify the works which in the opinion of the local authority are required to improve the dwelling to the full standard or, as the case may be, to the reduced standard,

(b) the works specified in the notice may be different from the works specified in the preliminary notice, and the notice may require the improvement of the dwelling to the full standard or, as the case may be, to the reduced standard notwithstanding that the preliminary notice provided for the improvement of the dwelling to the other of the two standards, and

(c) if the works are to a lower standard than full improvement, the improvement notice may, at the discretion of the local authority, specify a period shorter than twelve months.

(6) In addition to serving the immediate improvement notice on the person having control of the dwelling, the local authority shall at the same time serve a copy of the notice on the tenant of the dwelling and on every other person who is to the knowledge of the local authority an owner, lessee or mortgagee of the dwelling.

(7) The power of serving a preliminary notice under this section, and of taking any further steps authorised under this Part of this Act, may be exercised by the local authority notwithstanding that the tenant who made representations under this section quits the dwelling and notwithstanding that after the tenant has made those representations the local authority pass a resolution declaring an area which comprises the dwelling to be an improvement area.

(8) As soon as may be after service of an immediate improvement notice under this section, it shall be registered in the register of local land charges by the proper officer of the local authority in the prescribed manner.

The power conferred by section 15(6) of the Land Charges Act 1925 to make rules for giving effect to the provisions of that section shall be exercisable for giving effect to the provisions of this subsection; and in this subsection " prescribed " means prescribed by rules made in the exercise of that power.

(9) In the application of this section to Scotland—

(a) in subsection (1), the words " and is not in a tenement block " shall be omitted ;

(b) subsection (8) shall not apply, but as soon as practicable after service of an immediate improvement notice under this section the local authority shall cause to be recorded in the General Register of Sasines a certificate in the prescribed form stating that such notice has been served as aforesaid.