Housing and Building Control Act 1984

1 Extension to certain cases where landlord does not own freehold.

(1) The provisions of this section and of Schedule 1 to this Act shall have effect for the purpose of extending the right to buy conferred by Chapter I of Part I of the [1980 c. 51.] Housing Act 1980 (in this Part of this Act referred to as “the 1980 Act”) to certain cases where the landlord does not own the freehold of the dwelling-house.

(2) In section 1(1) of the 1980 Act (right to acquire freehold or long lease) for paragraphs (a) and (b) there shall be substituted the following paragraphs—

“(a) if the dwelling-house is a house and the landlord owns the freehold, to acquire the freehold of the dwelling-house;

(b) if the landlord does not own the freehold or (whether or not the landlord owns it) the dwelling-house is a flat, to be granted a lease of the dwelling-house; and”.

(3) At the end of section 2(3) of the 1980 Act (exceptions to right to buy) there shall be inserted the words “or has an interest sufficient to grant a lease in pursuance of this Chapter—

(a) where the dwelling-house is a house, for a term exceeding 21 years commencing with the relevant time;

(b) where the dwelling-house is a flat, for a term of not less than 50 years commencing with that time.”

(4) The amendments made by this section and Schedule 1 to this Act (except paragraph 10) shall not apply where the landlord’s notice under section 5(1) of the 1980 Act was served before the commencement date.