Housing Act 1957

Obligation of Lessors of Small Houses

6 Conditions to be implied on the letting of small houses

(1) This section applies—

(a) to a contract made before the thirty-first day of July, nineteen hundred and twenty-three, for letting for human habitation a house at a rent not exceeding—

(i) in the case of a house situate in the administrative county of London, forty pounds;

(ii) in the case of a house situate in a borough or urban district outside the administrative county of London, being a borough or district which at the date of the contract had according to the last published census a population of fifty thousand or upwards, twenty-six pounds;

(iii) in the case of a house situate elsewhere, sixteen pounds, and

(b) to a contract made on or after the said thirty-first day of July and before the sixth day of July, nineteen hundred and fifty-seven, for letting for human habitation a house at a rent not exceeding—

(i) in the case of a house situate in the administrative county of London, forty pounds ;

(ii) in the case of a house situate elsewhere, twenty-six pounds, and

(c) to a contract made on or after the said sixth day of July, nineteen hundred and fifty-seven, for letting for human habitation a house at a rent not exceeding—

(i) in the case of a house situate in the administrative county of London, eighty pounds ;

(ii) in the case of a house situate elsewhere, fifty-two pounds.

(2) Subject to the provisions of this Act, in any contract to which this section applies there shall, notwithstanding any stipulation to the contrary, be implied a condition that the house is at the commencement of the tenancy, and an undertaking that the house will be kept by the landlord during the tenancy, fit for human habitation:

Provided that the condition and undertaking aforesaid shall not be implied when a house is let for a term of not less than three years upon the terms that it be put by the lessee into a condition reasonably fit for human habitation, and the lease is not determinable at the option of either party before the expiration of three years.

(3) The landlord, or any person authorised by him in writing, may at reasonable times of the day, on giving twenty-four hours' notice in writing to the tenant or occupier, enter any premises to which this section applies for the purpose of viewing the state and condition thereof.

(4) In this section the expression " landlord" means any person who lets for human habitation to a tenant any house under any contract referred to in this section, and includes his successors in title, and the expression " house " includes part of a house.

7 Application of foregoing section to houses occupied by agricultural workers otherwise than as tenants

Notwithstanding any stipulation to the contrary, where under a contract of employment of a workman employed in agriculture the provision of a house or part of a house for his occupation forms part of his remuneration, and the provisions of the last foregoing section are inapplicable by reason only of the house or part of the house not being let to him, there shall be implied as part of the contract of employment the like condition and undertaking as would be implied under those provisions if the house or part of the house were so let, and those provisions shall apply acordingly, with the substitution of " employer " for " landlord ", and such other modifications as may be necessary:

Provided that this section shall not affect the obligation of any person other than the employer to repair a house to which this section applies, or any remedy for enforcing any such obligation.

8 Information to be given to tenants of working-class houses

In the case of any house which is occupied, or is of a type suitable for occupation, by persons of the working classes, the name and address of the medical officer of health for the district and of the landlord or other person who is directly responsible for keeping the house in all respects reasonably fit for human habitation shall be inscribed in the rent book, or, where a rent book is not used, shall be delivered in writing to the tenant at the commencement of the tenancy and before any rent is demanded or collected; and, where there has been any failure to comply with the provisions of this section in respect of any house, any person who while the default continues demands or collects any rent in respect of the house as aforesaid shall on summary conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding forty shillings.