Housing safety legislation

These acts and regulations are a summary of the major housing legislation.

Sections 59 and 76 deal with drainage as a statutory nuisance, section 64 deals with the issue of toilets in properties and sections 77 and 78 deal with dangerous buildings.

Visit the Building Act 1984 on the Gov.uk website

This ensures landlords prevent disrepair which could cause harm to tenants and others or their possessions.

View the Defective Premises Act 1972 on the Gov.uk website

This sets the maximum price a landlord can charge tenants for electricity.

View the Electricity Act 1989 on the Gov.uk website

Sections 79 to 81 in Part III contain powers allowing us to take action over statutory nuisances through notices requiring them to stop or prohibit or restrict their occurrence or recurrence.

View the Environmental Protection Act 1990 on the Gov.uk website

Section 10 allows the fire service to prohibit or restrict the use of premises where there is a serious risk to life in the event of a fire.

View the Fire Precautions Act 1971 on the Gov.uk website

This requires landlords to ensure their furniture and furnishings meet set safety standards.

View the Furniture and furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 on the Gov.uk website

This ensures it is a landlord’s statutory duty to arrange for an annual gas safety inspection by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

View the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 on the Gov.uk website

Section 3 places a duty on anyone who runs a business to ensure anyone not in their employment is not exposed to risks to their health or safety.

View the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 on the HSE website

This introduced the most common form of tenancy for private sector tenants, the assured shorthold tenancy agreement.

View the Housing Act 1988 on the Gov.uk website

This came into force on 6 April 2006 and changed the way properties are inspected, licensed and registered and the way in which deposits are handled. Predominately concerned with minimum housing standards including overcrowding where we have specific powers concerning houses in multiple occupation and sexual overcrowding which prohibits over-12s sharing sleeping accommodation with members of the opposite sex unless they live together as husband and wife.

View the Housing Act 2004 on the Gov.uk website

This ensures landlords repair and maintain properties for tenants.

View the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 on the Gov.uk website

Section 33 allows us to reconnect or continue electrical, gas or water supplies where the owner or former owner has failed to pay the bill and to recover any expenses.

View the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 on the Gov.uk website

This defines criminal offences which may be committed by landlords, or someone acting on their behalf, through harassment and eviction of tenants without a court order.

View the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 on the Gov.uk website

This makes it a crime and tort to harass someone and if that person knows, or ought to know, their behaviour amounts to harassment.

View the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 on the Gov.uk website

Section 45 allows for the repair of existing but unsatisfactory toilets.

View the Public Health Act 1936 on the Gov.uk website

Section 17 allows us to ensure homeowners remedy stopped-up drains and carry out minor drainage repairs.

View the Public Health Act 1961 on the Gov.uk website

This applies to regulated tenancies.

View the Rent Act 1977 on the Gov.uk website