- Latest available (Revised)
- Original (As enacted)
Housing Act 1985
You are here:
What Version
Advanced Features
- Show Geographical Extent(e.g. England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland)
- Show Timeline of Changes
Opening Options
More Resources
Changes to legislation:
Housing Act 1985, Section 617 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 26 November 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.
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.
Changes and effects yet to be applied to Section 617:
- specified provision(s) savings for amendments by 2018 anaw 1, s. 6, Sch. 6 by S.I. 2019/110 reg. 5
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):
- s. 81A-81D and cross-heading inserted by 2016 c. 22 Sch. 7 para. 4 (This provision is amended by 2021 c. 7, ss. 79(3), 90(6); S.I 2021/1038, reg. 3(c))
- s. 81B(1)(b) words inserted by 2018 c. 11 s. 1(3)
- s. 81B(2A)-(2C) inserted by 2018 c. 11 s. 1(2)
- s. 81B(2C) words substituted by 2021 c. 17 s. 79(3)(a)(i) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. The insertion of s. 81B by 2016 c. 22, Sch. 7 para. 4 is still prospective)
- s. 81B(2C) words substituted by 2021 c. 17 s. 79(3)(a)(ii) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. The insertion of s. 81B by 2016 c. 22, Sch. 7 para. 4 is still prospective)
- s. 81B(2D) inserted by 2021 c. 17 s. 79(3)(b) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. The insertion of s. 81B by 2016 c. 22, Sch. 7 para. 4 is still prospective)
- s. 82(A1)(A2) inserted by 2016 c. 22 s. 119(2)(a)
- s. 82A(4A)(4B) inserted by 2016 c. 22 Sch. 7 para. 7(2)
- s. 86(1A)(1B) inserted by 2016 c. 22 Sch. 7 para. 10(3)
- s. 86(1C) inserted by 2016 c. 22 Sch. 8 para. 2
- s. 86A-86F and cross-headings inserted by 2016 c. 22 Sch. 7 para. 11
- s. 86G s. 86A renumbered as s. 86G by 2016 c. 22 Sch. 8 para. 3(1)(a)
- s. 86G(8) inserted by 2016 c. 22 Sch. 8 para. 3(2)
- s. 88(1)(ba) inserted by 2016 c. 22 Sch. 8 para. 4
- s. 89(2A)-(2D) inserted by 2016 c. 22 Sch. 8 para. 5(3)
- s. 97(1A) inserted by 2016 c. 22 Sch. 7 para. 12(3)
- s. 99A(1A) inserted by 2016 c. 22 Sch. 7 para. 13(3)
- s. 115(3)-(7) inserted by 2024 c. 22 Sch. 9 para. 4(a)(ii)
- s. 115B 115C inserted by 2016 c. 22 Sch. 7 para. 15
- s. 115B 115C inserted by 2016 c. 22 Sch. 7 para. 15
- s. 353A inserted by 1996 c. 52 s. 73(1) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. S. 73 repealed (6.4.2006 for E., 16.6.2006 for W.) by 2004 c. 34, Sch. 16; S.I. 2006/1060, art. 2(1)(e), Sch.; S.I. 2006/1535, art. 2(c), Sch.)
- s. 582(6)(aa)-(ac) substituted for s. 582(6)(a) by 2023 c. 55 Sch. 18 para. 4(2)(b)
- Sch. 1 para. 1ZA and cross-heading inserted by 2016 c. 22 Sch. 7 para. 17(2)
- Sch. 5A para. 3(3)(aa) inserted by 2023 c. 55 Sch. 18 para. 4(3)(b)(ii)
- Sch. 5A para. 3(6A) inserted by 2023 c. 55 Sch. 18 para. 4(3)(d)
617 Service of notices.E+W
(1)Where under any provision of this Act it is the duty of a local housing authority to serve a document on a person who is to the knowledge of the authority—
(a)a person having control of premises, however defined, or
(b)a person managing premises, however defined, or
(c)a person having an estate or interest in premises, whether or not restricted to persons who are owners or lessees or mortgagees or to any other class of those having an estate or interest in premises,
the authority shall take reasonable steps to identify the person or persons coming within the description in that provision.
(2)A person having an estate or interest in premises may for the purposes of any provision to which subsection (1) applies give notice to the local housing authority of his interest in the premises and they shall enter the notice in their records.
(3)A document required or authorised by this Act to be served on a person as being a person having control of premises (however defined) may, if it is not practicable after reasonable enquiry to ascertain the name or address of that person, be served by—
(a)addressing it to him by the description of “person having control of” the premises (naming them) to which it relates, and
(b)delivering it to some person on the premises or, if there is no person on the premises to whom it can be delivered, by affixing it, or a copy of it, to some conspicuous part of the premises.
(4)Where under any provision of this Act a document is to be served on—
(a)the person having control of premises, however defined, or
(b)the person managing premises, however defined, or
(c)the owner of premises, however defined,
and more than one person comes within the description in the enactment, the document may be served on more than one of those persons.
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1S. 617 applied (17.12.1996) by 1996 c. 53, s. 82(5); S.I. 1996/2842, art. 3
Options/Help
Print Options
PrintThe Whole Act
PrintThe Whole Part
PrintThe Whole Cross Heading
PrintThis Section only
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?
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.
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.
Opening Options
Different options to open legislation in order to view more content on screen at once
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
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.
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
All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. This site additionally contains content derived from EUR-Lex, reused under the terms of the Commission Decision 2011/833/EU on the reuse of documents from the EU institutions. For more information see the EUR-Lex public statement on re-use.