Search Legislation

Housing Act 1996

 Help about what version

What Version

  • Latest available (Revised)
  • Original (As enacted)
 Help about advanced features

Advanced Features

Changes to legislation:

Housing Act 1996, Section 2 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 23 December 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations. Help about Changes to Legislation

Close

Changes to Legislation

Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.

View outstanding changes

Changes and effects yet to be applied to Section 2:

Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:

  • Act savings and transitional provisions for amendments by S.I. 2022/1166 by S.I. 2022/1172 Regulations

Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):

2 Eligibility for registration.E+W

(1)[F1A Welsh body] is eligible for registration as a social landlord if it is—

(a)a registered charity which is a housing association,

(b)[F2a registered society] which satisfies the conditions in subsection (2), or

(c)[F3a company] which satisfies those conditions.

(2)The conditions are that the body is [F4principally concerned with Welsh housing, is] non-profit-making and is established for the purpose of, or has among its objects or powers, the provision, construction, improvement or management of—

(a)houses to be kept available for letting,

(b)houses for occupation by members of the body, where the rules of the body restrict membership to persons entitled or prospectively entitled (as tenants or otherwise) to occupy a house provided or managed by the body, or

(c)hostels,

and that any additional purposes or objects are among those specified in subsection (4).

[F5(2A)A body is principally concerned with Welsh housing if the Welsh Ministers think—

(a)that it owns housing only or mainly in Wales, or

(b)that its activities are principally undertaken in respect of Wales;

and once a body has been registered in reliance on paragraph (a) or (b) it does not cease to be eligible for registration by virtue only of ceasing to satisfy that paragraph.]

(3)For the purposes of this section a body is non-profit-making if—

(a)it does not trade for profit, or

(b)its constitution or rules prohibit the issue of capital with interest or dividend exceeding the rate prescribed by the Treasury for the purposes of section 1(1)(b) of the M1Housing Associations Act 1985.

(4)The permissible additional purposes or objects are—

(a)providing land, amenities or services, or providing, constructing, repairing or improving buildings, for its residents, either exclusively or together with other persons;

(b)acquiring, or repairing and improving, or creating by the conversion of houses or other property, houses to be disposed of on sale, on lease or on shared ownership terms;

(c)constructing houses to be disposed of on shared ownership terms;

(d)managing houses held on leases or other lettings (not being houses within subsection (2)(a) or (b)) or blocks of flats;

(e)providing services of any description for owners or occupiers of houses in arranging or carrying out works of maintenance, repair or improvement, or encouraging or facilitating the carrying out of such works;

(f)encouraging and giving advice on the forming of housing associations or providing services for, and giving advice on the running of, such associations and other voluntary organisations concerned with housing, or matters connected with housing.

(5)A body is not ineligible for registration as a social landlord by reason only that its powers include power—

(a)to acquire commercial premises or businesses as an incidental part of a project or series of projects undertaken for purposes or objects falling within subsection (2) or (4);

(b)to repair, improve or convert commercial premises acquired as mentioned in paragraph (a) or to carry on for a limited period any business so acquired;

(c)to repair or improve houses, or buildings in which houses are situated, after a disposal of the houses by the body by way of sale or lease or on shared ownership terms.

(6)In this section—

  • block of flats” means a building containing two or more flats which are held on leases or other lettings and which are occupied or intended to be occupied wholly or mainly for residential purposes;

  • disposed of on shared ownership terms” means disposed of on a lease—

    (a)

    granted on a payment of a premium calculated by reference to a percentage of the value of the house or of the cost of providing it, or

    (b)

    under which the tenant (or his personal representatives) will or may be entitled to a sum calculated by reference directly or indirectly to the value of the house;

  • “letting” includes the grant of a licence to occupy;

  • residents”, in relation to a body, means persons occupying a house or hostel provided or managed by the body; and

  • voluntary organisation” means an organisation whose activities are not carried on for profit.

(7)The [F6Welsh Ministers] may by order specify permissible purposes, objects or powers additional to those specified in subsections (4) and (5).

The order may (without prejudice to the inclusion of other incidental or supplementary provisions) contain such provision as the [F6Welsh Ministers] thinks fit with respect to the priority of mortgages entered into in pursuance of any additional purposes, objects or powers.

(8)An order under subsection (7) shall be made by statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of [F7the National Assembly for Wales] .

Textual Amendments

F1Words in s. 2(1) substituted (1.4.2010) by Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (c. 17), ss. 61(5)(a), 325(1); S.I. 2010/862, art. 2 (with Sch.)

F4Words in s. 2(2) inserted (1.4.2010) by Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (c. 17), ss. 61(5)(b), 325(1); S.I. 2010/862, art. 2 (with Sch.)

F6Words in s. 2(7) substituted (1.4.2010) by Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (c. 17), ss. 61(5)(d), 325(1); S.I. 2010/862, art. 2 (with Sch.)

F7Words in s. 2(8) substituted (1.4.2010) by Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (c. 17), ss. 61(5)(e), 325(1); S.I. 2010/862, art. 2 (with Sch.)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1Pt. 1: The system of "registered social landlords" under this Part is replaced (8.9.2008 for specified purposes and 1.12.2008, 16.2.2009, 1.4.2009, 7.9.2009 and 1.4.2010 for further purposes) by Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (c. 17), Pt. 2. This Part continues to apply in relation to Wales with certain provisions applied in relation to England and certain provisions preserved although they apply to England only, see s. 60 of the affecting Act; S.I. 2008/2358, art. 3; S.I. 2008/3068, art. 3 (with arts. 6-13); S.I. 2009/363, art. 2; S.I. 2009/803, art. 7; S.I. 2009/2096, art. 2(1); S.I. 2010/862, art. 2 (with Sch.)

C2S. 2(4) extended (19.4.1999) by 1999/985, art.2

S. 2(4) extended (1.7.1999) by S.I. 1999/1206, art. 2(1)

Commencement Information

I1S. 2 wholly in force 1.10.1996; s. 2 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 232(1)-(3); s. 2(7)(8) in force at 1.8.1996 by 1996/2048, art. 2(1) and s. 2 in force at 1.10.1996 to the extent not already in force by S.I. 1996/2402, art. 3 (subject to the transitional provisions and savings in the Sch. to that S.I.)

Marginal Citations

Back to top

Options/Help

Print Options

You have chosen to open The Whole Act

The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open The Whole Act as a PDF

The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open The Whole Act without Schedules

The Whole Act without Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open The Whole Act without Schedules as a PDF

The Whole Act without Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open the Whole Act

The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open the Whole Act without Schedules

The Whole Act without Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open Schedules only

The Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

Close

Legislation is available in different versions:

Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.

Original (As Enacted or Made): The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.

Close

See additional information alongside the content

Geographical Extent: Indicates the geographical area that this provision applies to. For further information see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

Show Timeline of Changes: See how this legislation has or could change over time. Turning this feature on will show extra navigation options to go to these specific points in time. Return to the latest available version by using the controls above in the What Version box.

Close

Opening Options

Different options to open legislation in order to view more content on screen at once

Close

More Resources

Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • correction slips
  • links to related legislation and further information resources
Close

Impact Assessments

Impact Assessments generally accompany all UK Government interventions of a regulatory nature that affect the private sector, civil society organisations and public services. They apply regardless of whether the regulation originates from a domestic or international source and can accompany primary (Acts etc) and secondary legislation (SIs). An Impact Assessment allows those with an interest in the policy area to understand:

  • Why the government is proposing to intervene;
  • The main options the government is considering, and which one is preferred;
  • How and to what extent new policies may impact on them; and,
  • The estimated costs and benefits of proposed measures.
Close

Timeline of Changes

This timeline shows the different points in time where a change occurred. The dates will coincide with the earliest date on which the change (e.g an insertion, a repeal or a substitution) that was applied came into force. The first date in the timeline will usually be the earliest date when the provision came into force. In some cases the first date is 01/02/1991 (or for Northern Ireland legislation 01/01/2006). This date is our basedate. No versions before this date are available. For further information see the Editorial Practice Guide and Glossary under Help.

Close

More Resources

Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • correction slips

Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including:

  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • links to related legislation and further information resources