Housing Act 1996

36 Issue of guidance by the Corporation

(1) The Corporation may issue guidance with respect to the management of housing accommodation by registered social landlords.

(2) Guidance under this section may, in particular, be issued with respect to—

(a) the housing demands for which provision should be made and the means of meeting those demands;

(b) the allocation of housing accommodation between individuals;

(c) the terms of tenancies and the principles upon which levels of rent should be determined;

(d) standards of maintenance and repair and the means of achieving those standards;

(e) the services to be provided to tenants;

(f) the procedures to be adopted to deal with complaints by tenants against a landlord;

(g) consultation and communication with tenants;

(h) the devolution to tenants of decisions concerning the management of housing accommodation.

(3) Before issuing any guidance under this section the Corporation shall—

(a) consult such bodies appearing to it to be representative of registered social landlords as it considers appropriate, and

(b) submit a draft of the proposed guidance to the Secretary of State for his approval.

(4) If the Secretary of State gives his approval to the draft submitted to him, the Corporation shall issue the guidance in such manner as the Corporation considers appropriate for bringing it to the notice of the landlords concerned.

(5) Guidance issued under this section may be revised or withdrawn; and subsections (3) and (4) apply in relation to the revision of guidance as in relation to its issue.

(6) Guidance under this section may make different provision in relation to different cases and, in particular, in relation to different areas, different descriptions of housing accommodation and different descriptions of registered social landlord.

(7) In considering whether action needs to be taken to secure the proper management of the affairs of a registered social landlord or whether there has been mismanagement, the Corporation may have regard (among other matters) to the extent to which any guidance under this section is being or has been followed.