Housing Act 2004

35 Power of court to order occupier or owner to allow action to be taken on premises

(1) This section applies where an improvement notice or prohibition order has become operative.

(2) If the occupier of any specified premises—

(a) has received reasonable notice of any intended action in relation to the premises, but

(b) is preventing a relevant person, or any representative of a relevant person or of the local housing authority, from taking that action in relation to the premises,

a magistrates' court may order the occupier to permit to be done on the premises anything which the court considers is necessary or expedient for the purpose of enabling the intended action to be taken.

(3) If a relevant person—

(a) has received reasonable notice of any intended action in relation to any specified premises, but

(b) is preventing a representative of the local housing authority from taking that action in relation to the premises,

a magistrates' court may order the relevant person to permit to be done on the premises anything which the court considers is necessary or expedient for the purpose of enabling the intended action to be taken.

(4) A person who fails to comply with an order of the court under this section commits an offence.

(5) In proceedings for an offence under subsection (4) it is a defence that the person had a reasonable excuse for failing to comply with the order.

(6) A person who commits an offence under subsection (4) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £20 in respect of each day or part of a day during which the failure continues.

(7) In this section “intended action”, in relation to any specified premises, means—

(a) where an improvement notice has become operative, any action which the person on whom that notice has been served is required by the notice to take in relation to the premises and which—

(a) (in the context of subsection (2)) is proposed to be taken by or on behalf of that person or on behalf of the local housing authority in pursuance of Schedule 3, or

(b) (in the context of subsection (3)) is proposed to be taken on behalf of the local housing authority in pursuance of Schedule 3;

(b) where a prohibition order has become operative, any action which is proposed to be taken and which either is necessary for the purpose of giving effect to the order or is remedial action specified in the order in accordance with section 22(2)(e).

(8) In this section—

• “relevant person”, in relation to any premises, means a person who is an owner of the premises, a person having control of or managing the premises, or the holder of any licence under Part 2 or 3 in respect of the premises;

• “representative” in relation to a relevant person or a local housing authority, means any officer, employee, agent or contractor of that person or authority.