Housing Act 1964

81 Effect of control order on furnished lettings

(1) Subject to this section, if on the date on which the control order comes into force there is any furniture in the house which a resident in the house has the right to use in consideration of periodical payments to the dispossessed proprietor (whether included in the rent payable by the resident or not), the right to possession of the furniture shall, on that date and as against all persons other than the resident, vest in the local authority and remain vested in the local authority while the control order remains in force.

(2) The local authority may, on the application in writing of the person owning any furniture to which the foregoing subsection applies, by notice served on that person not less than two weeks before the notice takes effect, renounce the right to possession of the furniture as conferred by that subsection.

(3) In respect of the period during which the local authority have the right to possession of any furniture in pursuance of subsection (1) of this section, the local authority shall be liable to pay to the dispossessed proprietor compensation in respect of the use of any furniture the right to possession of which vests under that subsection at such rate as the parties may agree or as may be determined by the tribunal constituted under section 1 of the Furnished Houses (Rent Control) Act 1946 for the district in which the house is situated.

(4) If the local authority's right to possession of any furniture conferred by subsection (1) of this section is a right exercisable as against more than one person interested in the furniture, any such person may apply to the county court for an adjustment of the rights and liabilities of those persons as regards the furniture, and the county court may make an order for any such adjustment of rights and liabilities either unconditionally or subject to such terms and conditions (including terms or conditions with respect to the payment of money by any party to the proceedings to any other party to the proceedings by way of compensation, damages or otherwise) as it thinks just and equitable.

(5) Subsections (2) and (3) of section 78 of this Act shall apply in relation to compensation under this section as they apply to compensation under that section, and if at the time when compensation under this section accrues due the furniture is subject to any charge, the compensation shall be deemed to be comprised in that charge.

(6) In this section " furniture " includes fittings and other articles.

(7) In the application of this section to Scotland—

(a) in subsection (3), for the reference to the Furnished Houses (Rent Control) Act 1946 there shall be substituted a reference to the Rent of Furnished Houses Control (Scotland) Act 1943, and for the word " district " there shall be substituted the word " area ";

(b) in subsection (5), the words from " and if " to the end shall be omitted.