Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977

8 Duties of notification

(1) On completing their inquiries under section 3 above, a housing authority shall notify the person who applied to them for accommodation or for assistance in obtaining accommodation of their decision on the question whether he is homeless or threatened with homelessness.

(2) If they notify him that their decision is that he is homeless or threatened with homelessness, they shall at the same time notify him of their decision on the question whether he has a priority need.

(3) If they notify him that their decision is that he has a priority need, they shall at the same time notify him—

(a) of their decision on the question whether he became homeless or threatened with homelessness intentionally, and

(b) whether they have notified or propose to notify any other housing authority that his application has been made.

(4) If they notify him—

(a) that they are not satisfied—

(i) that he is homeless or threatened with homelessness, or

(ii) that he has a priority need, or

(b) that they are satisfied that he became homeless or threatened with homelessness intentionally, or

(c) that they have notified or propose to notify another housing authority that his application has been made,

they shall at the same time notify him of their reasons.

(5) When it has been determined whether subsection (3) or (5) of section 5 above applies to a person to whom a notification under that section relates, it shall be the duty of the notifying authority to notify him—

(a) whether they or the notified authority are the authority whose duty it is under that section to secure that accommodation becomes available for his occupation, and

(b) of the reasons why the authority subject to that duty are subject to it.

(6) If a housing authority cease in respect of the property of any person to be subject to the duty imposed by subsection (1) of section 7 above or, subject to subsection (7) below, to have the power conferred by subsection (3) of that section, it shall be their duty to notify him—

(a) that they have ceased to be subject to the duty or, as the case may be, to have the power, and

(b) of the reason why they are of the opinion mentioned in section 7(8) above.

(7) An authority who cease to have the power conferred by section 7(3) above in respect of the property of any person need not notify him that they have ceased to have the power unless they have exercised it.

(8) Subject to subsections (10) and (11) below, any notification or reasons required to be given to a person under this section shall be treated as having been given to him only if the requirement specified in subsection (9) below is satisfied.

(9) The requirement mentioned in subsection (8) above is that any such notification and reasons shall for a reasonable period be made available by the housing authority at their office for collection by or on behalf of the person to whom they are required to be given.

(10) A notification required under subsection (6) above may be given to the person to whom it is required to be given only—

(a) by delivering it to him, or

(b) by leaving it at his proper address, or

(c) by sending it by post to him at that address.

(11) For the purposes of this section and section 26 of the [1889 c. 63.] Interpretation Act 1889 (service of documents by post) in its application to this section, the proper address of any person to whom such a notification is to be given shall be his last known address.