Housing (Scotland) Act 1987

234 Financial assistance towards tenants' removal expenses

(1) A local authority shall, in the performance of the functions of management of houses conferred on them by section 17, have power, subject to subsections (2) and (3), in every case where a tenant of a house held by it for housing purposes moves to another house, whether or not that other house is also owned by the local authority—

(a) to pay any expenses of the removal;

(b) where the tenant is purchasing the house, to pay any expenses incurred by him in connection with the purchase other than the purchase price.

(2) Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) shall only apply in a case where a tenant of a house moves to another house of the local authority if that house has never been let.

(3) A local authority may make their payment of expenses in connection with the purchase of a house subject to such conditions as they think fit.

(4) Nothing in this section shall affect the operation of section 34 of the [1973 c. 26.] Land Compensation (Scotland) Act 1973 (disturbance payments for persons without compensatable interests).

(5) The power conferred on a local authority by subsection (1) to make allowances towards the expenses incurred in removing by persons displaced in consequence of the exercise by the authority of their powers shall include power to make allowances to persons so displaced temporarily in respect of expenses incurred by them in storage of furniture.

(6) Where, as a result of action taken by a local authority under Part IV, the population of the locality is materially decreased, the authority may pay to any person carrying on a retail shop in the locality such reasonable allowance as they may think fit towards any loss which, in their opinion, he will thereby sustain, so, however, that in estimating any such loss they shall have regard to the probable future development of the locality.