Management agreements

27 Management agreements.

1

A local housing authority may, with the approval of the Secretary of State, agree that another person shall exercise as agent of the authority in relation to—

a

such of the authority’s houses as are specified in the agreement, and

b

any other land so specified which is held for a related purpose,

such of the authority’s management functions as are so specified.

2

In this Act “management agreement” and “manager”, in relation to such an agreement, mean an agreement under this section and the person with whom the agreement is made.

3

A management agreement shall set out the terms on which the authority’s functions are exercisable by the manager.

4

A management agreement may, where the manager is a body or association, provide that the manager’s functions under the agreement may be performed by a committee or sub-committee, or by an officer, of the body or association.

5

The Secretary of State’s approval (which may be given unconditionally or subject to conditions) is required both for the terms of the agreement and the identity of the manager.

6

References in this section to the management functions of a local housing authority in relation to houses or land include—

a

functions conferred by any statutory provision, and

b

the powers and duties of the authority as holder of an estate or interest in the houses or land in question.

27A Consultation required before management agreement can be approved.

1

A local housing authority who propose to enter into a management agreement shall serve notice in writing on the tenant of each house to which the proposal relates informing him of—

a

such details of their proposal as the authority consider appropriate, but including the identity of the person who is to be the manager under the agreement,

b

the likely consequences of the agreement for the tenant, and

c

the effect of the provisions of this section,

and informing him that he may, within such reasonable period as may be specified in the notice, make representations to the authority.

2

The authority shall consider any representations made to them within that period and shall serve a further written notice on the tenant informing him—

a

of any significant changes in their proposal, and

b

that he may within such period as is specified (which must be at least 28 days after the service of the notice) communicate to the Secretary of State his objection to the proposal,

and informing him of the effect of subsection (5) (approval to be withheld if majority of tenants are opposed).

3

The Secretary of State shall not entertain an application for approval of a management agreement unless the local housing authority certify that the requirements of subsections (1) and (2) as to consultation have been complied with; and the certificate shall be accompanied by a copy of the notices given by the authority in accordance with those subsections.

4

The Secretary of State may require the authority to carry out such further consultation with their tenants, and to give him such information as to the results of that consultation, as he may direct.

5

The Secretary of State shall not give his approval if it appears to him that a majority of the tenants of the houses to which the agreement relates do not wish the proposal to proceed ; but this does not affect his general discretion to withhold his approval on grounds relating to whether the proposal has the support of the tenants or on any other ground.

6

In making his decision the Secretary of State may have regard to any information available to him; and the local housing authority shall give him such information as to the representations made to them by tenants and others, and other relevant matters, as he may require.

7

A management agreement made with the approval of the Secretary of State is not invalidated by a failure on his part or that of the local housing authority to comply with the requirements of this section.

8

In the case of secure tenants the provisions of this section apply in place of the provisions of section 105 (consultation on matters of housing management) in relation to the making of a management agreement.

27B Agreements with housing co-operatives under superseded provisions.

1

In this section “housing co-operative” means a society, company or body of trustees with which a housing co-operative agreement was made, that is to say—

a

an agreement to which paragraph 9 of Schedule 1 to the Housing Rents and Subsidies Act 1975 or Schedule 20 to the Housing Act 1980 applied or,

b

an agreement made under section 27 above before the commencement of section 10 of the Housing and Planning Act 1986 (which substituted the present section 27).

2

A housing co-operative agreement made with a local housing authority which is in force immediately before the commencement of section 10 of the Housing and Planning Act 1986 has effect as if made under the present section 27, so that, in particular, any terms of the agreement providing for the letting of land to the housing co-operative no longer have effect except in relation to lettings made before commencement.

3

A housing co-operative agreement made with a new town corporation or the Development Board for Rural Wales which is in force immediately before the commencement of section 10 of the Housing and Planning Act 1986 remains in force notwithstanding that the present section 27 does not apply to such authorities.

4

In this Act (except in section 27) the expressions “management agreement” and “manager”, in relation to such an agreement, include a housing co-operative agreement to which subsection (2) or (3) applies and the housing co-operative with whom the agreement is made.