Rent Act 1977

6 (1) Where an application for a certificate of disrepair is granted, any notice of increase served during the period beginning 6 months before the date of the application and ending when the certificate ceases to be in force shall have no effect with respect to any rental period beginning while the certificate is in force, except in so far as it specifies an increase authorised by section 29, 31 or 32 of this Act.

(2) Where a certificate of disrepair is issued, the appropriate factor applicable to any rental period beginning while the certificate is in force shall be four-thirds and the rent limit shall be ascertained under subsection (1) of section 27 of this Act, notwithstanding anything in subsection (3) of that section or section 145(4) of this Act.

(3) A notice of increase served while a certificate of disrepair is in force shall be void unless it contains a statement that it will not take effect while the certificate is in force, except in so far as the increase specified in it is authorised by section 29, 31 or 32 of this Act.

(4) Without prejudice to sub-paragraphs (1) to (3) above, but subject to sub-paragraph (5) below, the tenant shall be entitled to withhold rent otherwise recoverable for rental periods beginning while the certificate of disrepair continues in force up to an aggregate amount equal to the aggregate amount of rent for rental periods which began—

(a) on or after the date of the application for the certificate of disrepair, and

(b) before the granting thereof,

being rent which would have been made irrecoverable by sub-paragraphs (1) to (3) above if the certificate had been in force throughout those rental periods.

(5) The amount of rent withheld for any rental period by virtue of sub-paragraph (4) above shall not exceed the amount of rent made irrecoverable by sub-paragraphs (1) to (3) above for the first rental period beginning while the certificate is in force.

(6) Where under paragraph 4 above an application is made to the court for the cancellation of a certificate of disrepair with respect to all the defects specified therein, and the application is made within 3 weeks after the issue of the certificate, the rent recoverable for any rental period beginning while proceedings on the application are pending shall, until those proceedings are concluded, be deemed to be the same as if the certificate had not been issued.