Rent Act 1977

Landlord's undertaking to repair and certificates of disrepair

4 (1) If, on the expiry of 6 weeks from the service of a notice under paragraph 3 above, any of the defects specified in the notice remain unremedied, then, unless the landlord has given an undertaking in the prescribed form to remedy those defects or such of them as the tenant may agree in writing to accept as sufficient, the tenant may in the prescribed form apply to the local authority for a certificate of disrepair.

(2) Any application under this paragraph shall be accompanied by a copy of the notice served on the landlord.

(3) Where an application under this paragraph is made to a local authority and the local authority are satisfied—

(a) that the dwelling or any part of it is in disrepair by reason of defects specified in the notice served on the landlord and,

(b) that all or any of those defects ought reasonably to be remedied, having due regard to the age, character and locality of the dwelling,

they shall issue to the tenant a certificate of disrepair accordingly.

(4) Any such certificate of disrepair shall be in the prescribed form and shall specify the defects as to which the local authority are satisfied as mentioned in sub-paragraph (3) above, stating that the local authority are so satisfied.

(5) If, on an application by the tenant, the county court is satisfied, with respect to any defects, that the local authority have failed to issue a certificate of disrepair which ought to have been issued, the court shall direct the authority to proceed on the footing that, in relation to those defects, they are satisfied as to the matters specified in sub-paragraph (3) above ; and if, on an application by the tenant, the county court is satisfied that any defect not specified in a certificate of disrepair ought to have been specified therein, the court shall order that the defect shall be deemed to have been specified in the certificate.

(6) The local authority shall not be concerned to inquire into any obligation as between a landlord and a tenant or into the origin of any defect; but if, on an application by the landlord, the county court is satisfied, with respect to any defect specified in a certificate of disrepair, that it is one for which the tenant is responsible, the court shall cancel the certificate with respect to that defect.

(7) If, on an application by the landlord, the county court is satisfied with respect to any defect specified in a certificate of disrepair that it ought not to have been so specified, the court shall cancel the certificate with respect to that defect.

(8) Where a certificate of disrepair is cancelled under this paragraph with respect to all the defects specified therein, it shall be deemed never to have had effect; and where it is so cancelled with respect to some only of the defects specified therein, it shall be deemed never to have had those defects specified therein.

5 (1) Where, after the issue of a certificate of disrepair, the landlord applies to the local authority for the cancellation of the certificate on the ground that the defects specified in the certificate have been remedied, the local authority shall serve on the tenant a notice to the effect that, unless an objection from the tenant is received by them within 3 weeks from the service of the notice on the ground that those defects or any of them have not been remedied, they propose to cancel the certificate.

(2) If no objection is received as mentioned in sub-paragraph (1) above, or if, in the opinion of the local authority, the objection is not justified, they shall cancel the certificate as from the date of the application or such later date as appears to them to be the date on which the defects specified in the certificate were remedied.

(3) Where the landlord has applied to the local authority for the cancellation of a certificate of disrepair and the authority have not cancelled the certificate, the landlord may apply to the county court, and if on the application the court is satisfied that the certificate ought to have been cancelled by the local authority, the court shall order that the certificate shall cease to have effect as from the date of the order or such earlier date as may be specified in the order.

(4) Where the local authority have cancelled a certificate of disrepair the tenant may apply to the county court, and if on the application the court is satisfied that the certificate ought not to have been cancelled, the court may order that it shall be deemed not to have been cancelled.