PART I INTRODUCTORY PROVISIONS
Local housing authorities
1 Local housing authorities.
In this Act “local housing authority” means a district council, a London borough council, the Common Council of the City of London F1a Welsh county council or county borough councilor the Council of the Isles of Scilly.
C12 The district of a local housing authority
1
References in this Act to the district of a local housing authority are to the area of the council concerned, that is, to the district, London borough, the City of London F2the Welsh county or county borough,or the Isles of Scilly, as the case may be.
2
References in this Act to “the local housing authority”, in relation to land, are to the local housing authority in whose district the land is situated.
3 Buildings situated in more than one district.
1
Where a building is situated partly in the district of one local housing authority and partly in the district of another, the authorities may agree that—
a
the building, or
b
the building, its site and any yard, garden, outhouses and appurtenances belonging to the building or usually enjoyed with it,
shall be treated for the purposes of the enactments relating to housing as situated in such one of the districts as is specified in the agreement.
2
Whilst the agreement is in force the enactments relating to housing have effect accordingly.
Other authorities and bodies
4 Other descriptions of authority.
F31
In this Act—
a
“housing authority” means a local housing authority F4or a new town corporation;
b
“new town corporation” means a development corporation or the F5new towns residuary body;
c
“development corporation” means a development corporation established by an order made, or having effect as if made, under the M1New Towns Act 1981;
d
“urban development corporation” means an urban development corporation established under Part XVI of the M2Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980;
C2e
“local authority” means a county, F6county borough, district or London borough council, the Common Council of the City of London or the Council of the Isles of Scilly F7, in sections 43, 44 and 232 includes the Broads AuthorityF8, in sections 438, 441, 442, 443 and 458 includes the Broads Authority F9, a joint authority established by Part 4 of the Local Government Act 1985, an economic prosperity board, a combined authority, F40a combined county authority, a fire and rescue authority created by an order under section 4A of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 F36...F38and the London Fire Commissioner, and in sections 45(2)(b), 50(2), 51(6), 80(1), 157(1), 171(2), F11. . ., 573(1), paragraph 2(1) of Schedule 1, grounds 7 and 12 in Schedule 2, ground 5 in Schedule 3, paragraph 7(1) of Schedule 4, paragraph 5(1)(b) of Schedule 5 and Schedule 16 includes F12. . . F13the Broads AuthorityF8, a F33police and crime commissioner Act 1996,. . . F14. . . F15. . . F12. . . F16, a joint authority established by Part 4 of the Local Government Act 1985, F10an economic prosperity board, a combined authority F39, a fire and rescue authority created by an order under section 4A of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 ,F36... F38and the London Fire Commissioner;
F17f
“ housing action trust ” means a housing action trust established under Part III of the Housing Act 1988;
F18g
“ new towns residuary body ” means—
i
in relation to England, the Homes and Communities Agency so far as exercising functions in relation to anything transferred (or to be transferred) to it as mentioned in section 52(1)(a) to (d) of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008F32or the Greater London Authority so far as exercising its new towns and urban development functions; and
ii
in relation to Wales, the Welsh Ministers so far as exercising functions in relation to anything transferred (or to be transferred) to them as mentioned in section 36(1)(a) (i) to (iii) of the New Towns Act 1981.
F192
In this section—
“ combined authority ” means a combined authority established under section 103 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009;
F41“combined county authority” means a combined county authority established under section 9(1) of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023;
“ economic prosperity board ” means an economic prosperity board established under section 88 of that Act;
F37...
5 Housing associations.
1
In this Act “housing association” means a society, body of trustees or company—
a
which is established for the purpose of, or amongst whose objects or powers are included those of, providing, constructing, improving or managing, or facilitating or encouraging the construction or improvement of, housing accommodation, and
b
which does not trade for profit or whose constitution or rules prohibit the issue of capital with interest or dividend exceeding such rate as may be prescribed by the Treasury, whether with or without differentiation as between share and loan capital.
2
In this Act “fully mutual”, in relation to a housing association, means that the rules of the association—
a
restrict membership to persons who are tenants or prospective tenants of the association, and
b
preclude the granting or assignment of tenancies to persons other than members;
and “co-operative housing association” means a fully mutual housing association which is a F34registered society within the meaning of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014.
3
In this Act “self-build society” means a housing association whose object is to provide, for sale to, or occupation by, its members, dwellings built or improved principally with the use of its members’ own labour.
C3F20F284
In this Act “registered social landlord” means a housing association registered in the register maintained under section 1 of the Housing Act 1996, subject as follows.
5
References to registered social landlords include, where the context so permits, references to housing associations registered in the register maintained by Scottish Homes under section 3 of the Housing Associations Act 1985 (Scottish registered housing associations).
6 Housing trusts.
In this Act “housing trust” means a corporation or body of persons which—
a
is required by the terms of its constituent instrument to use the whole of its funds, including any surplus which may arise from its operations, for the purpose of providing housing accommodation, or
b
is required by the terms of its constituent instrument to devote the whole, or substantially the whole, of its funds for charitable purposes and in fact uses the whole, or substantially the whole, of its funds for the purpose of providing housing accommodation.
C4F21 6A The Corporation
1
2
In relation to a housing association which is—
a
a registered charity which has its address for the purposes of registration by the F24Charity Commission in Wales,
b
a F35registered society within the meaning of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 which has its registered office for the purposes of that Act in Wales, or
c
a company F25registered under the Companies Act 2006 which has its registered office for the purposes of that Act in Wales,
3
4
In relation to any other housing association which is a registered charity, a F35registered society within the meaning of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 or a company F25registered under the Companies Act 2006, “the F22Relevant Authority” means the F30Regulator of Social Housing.
F264A
This section is subject to any provision made elsewhere in this Act.
5
Supplementary provisions
7 Index of defined expressions: Part I.
The following Table shows provisions defining or otherwise explaining expressions used in this Part (other than provisions defining or explaining an expression used in the same section or paragraph):—
district (of a local housing authority) | section 2(1) |
local housing authority | section 1, 2(2) |
tenancy and tenant | section 621 |