882.Section 309 adds a new section 450D to the Housing Act 1985. This provides that the appropriate national authority may provide by regulations that where a local authority is the landlord of a flat let on a long lease to a tenant (commonly known as a leaseholder) who is liable to pay service charges in respect of repairs or improvements to the flat, the landlord may, with the tenant’s agreement, buy an equitable interest (i.e. a share) in the flat in order to help the tenant to pay service charges. The regulations may provide that this power is not available to specified types of landlords, and also how the purchase price is to be calculated (including provisions in respect of discounts, charges for the services of district valuers, and the tenant’s liability for the landlord’s administrative expenses in connection with the purchase). Fees charged by the district valuer are limited to the recovery of expenses and are governed by usual administrative law principles of reasonableness.
