Reserve and Auxiliary Forces (Protection of Civil Interests) Act 1951

20 Modifications of Rent Acts as respects occupation by employees

(1) Where the carrying out of duties connected with an employment which a service man had before beginning a period of relevant service (or, in the case of a policeman service man, the carrying out of his police duties) constitutes an obligation of a tenancy, and his performing that service prevents his carrying out those duties, the fact that he does not carry them out shall not be treated for the purposes of paragraph (a) of the First Schedule to the Rent Act of 1933 (which relates to recovery of possession where an obligation of a tenancy has been broken or not performed) as a breach or non-performance of the obligation.

(2) Paragraph (g) of the said First Schedule (which relates to recovery of possession, without proof of suitable alternative accommodation, in circumstances connected with occupation by employees) shall not apply for the purposes of the proceedings on an application for possession of premises made at any time during a service man's period of residence protection (as defined in section fourteen of this Act) if either—

(a) the premises are a rented family residence of his as defined in that section ; or

(b) the Rent Restrictions Acts apply to the premises as mentioned in subsection (1) of section eighteen of this Act, and a dependant or dependants of the service man is or are living in the premises or in part thereof in right of a statutory tenancy that falls within paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection (1) of the last preceding section.

(3) Where the last preceding subsection has effect as to an application for possession, the circumstances specified in the said First Schedule in which the court has power to make or give an order or judgment for the recovery of possession without proof of suitable alternative accommodation shall include the circumstances specified in either of the following paragraphs, that is to say—

(a) that the landlord is a body who are statutory under takers or a local authority or development corporation having public utility functions, and that the premises are required by that body in the public interest for occupation as a residence for some person who is engaged in their whole-time employment in connection with their public utility functions or with whom, conditional on housing accommodation being provided, a contract for such employment has been entered into ;

(b) where the last preceding subsection has effect by virtue of paragraph (b) thereof and the service man in question is a policeman service man, that the premises are required by the relevant police authority for occupation as a residence by a member of the .police force in question:

Provided that, where the court is satisfied that circumstances exist such as are specified in paragraph (a) of this subsection, the matters relevant for the court in determining under subsection (1) of section three of the Rent Act of 1933 whether it is reasonable to make or give such an order or judgment shall (without prejudice to the generality of that subsection) include the question whether the body seeking the order or judgment have at their disposal any vacant accommodation which would be suitable alternative accommodation for the tenant, or will have such accommodation at their disposal at or before the time when it is proposed that the order or judgment should take effect.

(4) In the last preceding subsection the expressions " statutory undertakers " and " local authority " have the same meanings as in the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, the expression " development corporation " has the same meaning as in the New Towns Act, 1946, and the expression " public utility functions " means powers or duties conferred or imposed by or under any enactment, being powers or duties to carry on a statutory undertaking (as defined in the said Act of 1947) or to provide public sewers or provide for the disposal of sewage, or being powers or duties of a river board or other drainage authority (as defined respectively in the River Boards Act, 1948, and the Land Drainage Act, 1930).