Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993

146 Right to have repairs carried out

For section 60 of the 1987 Act there shall be substituted the following section—

“60 Right to have repairs carried out

(1) The Secretary of State may make regulations for entitling a secure tenant of a landlord prescribed by the Secretary of State, subject to and in accordance with the regulations, to have qualifying repairs carried out to the house which is the subject of the secure tenancy.

(2) Those regulations shall prescribe—

(a) the maximum amount which will be paid in respect of any single qualifying repair;

(b) the maximum time within which a qualifying repair is to be completed.

(3) The regulations may also provide that—

(a) a landlord which has been prescribed under subsection (1) shall—

(i) maintain a list of contractors who are prepared to carry out qualifying repairs;

(ii) take such steps as may be prescribed to make its secure tenants aware of the provisions of the regulations and of the list of contractors;

(iii) where the tenant makes an application to him for a qualifying repair to be carried out, issue a works order to the usual contractor specifying the nature of the repair and the last day of the maximum time prescribed under subsection (2)(b);

(b) where the usual contractor has not started the repair work by the last day specified in the works order, the tenant shall have the right to instruct one of the other listed contractors to carry out the repair;

(c) where the repair work is carried out by that other listed contractor, the landlord shall be liable to pay for the work carried out;

(d) a listed contractor who is instructed by a tenant shall notify the landlord that he has been so instructed as soon as he receives the instruction;

(e) if the usual contractor fails to carry out the repair within the specified maximum time, the landlord shall pay to the tenant such sum by way of compensation as may be determined by or under the regulations;

(f) the landlord may set off against any compensation payable under the regulations any sums owed to it by the tenant.

(4) The regulations may—

(a) make different provision with respect to different cases or descriptions of case, including different provision for different areas;

(b) make such procedural, incidental, supplementary and transitional provision as appears to the Secretary of State necessary or expedient.

(5) Nothing in subsections (2) to (4) above shall be taken as prejudicing the generality of subsection (1).

(6) Regulations under this section shall be made by statutory instrument.

(7) In this section—

• “listed contractor” means any contractor (including the usual contractor) specified in the landlord’s list of contractors;

• “qualifying repair” means a repair prescribed as such in the regulations;

• “usual contractor” means the direct services organisation of the landlord or the contractor to whom the landlord has contracted its repairs.”