{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/housing-act-1985/section-72",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/housing-act-1985/section-72.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1985/68",
  "legislation_title": "Housing Act 1985",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/housing-act-1985",
  "path": "section/72",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "72",
  "heading": "Co-operation between authorities.",
  "text": "Where a local housing authority—\n(a) request another local housing authority in England, Wales or Scotland, a new town corporation, a registered social landlorda housing action trust or Scottish Homes to assist them in the discharge of their functions under sections 62, 63, 65 to 67 and 68(1) and (2) (which relate to homelessness and threatened homelessness as such),\n(b) request a social services authority in England, Wales or Scotland to exercise any of their functions in relation to a case which the local housing authority are dealing with under those provisions, or\n(c) request another local housing authority in England, Wales or Scotland to assist them in the discharge of their functions under section 70 (protection of property of homeless persons and persons threatened with homelessness),\nthe authority or other body to whom the request is made shall co-operate in rendering such assistance in the discharge of the functions to which the request relates as is reasonable in the circumstances.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 72(a) substituted (1.10.1996) by S.I. 1996/2325, art. 5(1), Sch. 2 para. 14(6)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words inserted by Housing Act 1988 (c. 50, SIF 61), s. 70"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "By Housing (Scotland) Act 1988 (c. 43, SIF 61), ss. 1, 3(3), Sch. 2 para. 1 it is provided that for the reference to “the Scottish Special Housing Association” there shall be substituted a reference to “Scottish Homes”"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words inserted by Housing Act 1988 (c. 50, SIF 61), s. 70"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 72; it is provided that s. 72 shall be amended (S.) by Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 (c. 26, SIF 61), ss. 38, 42(2), 335 (which by s. 340(3) is expressed to extend to Scotland only)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1985/68/section/72",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:59:47.243826+00:00",
    "licence": "OGL-UK-3.0",
    "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
    "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
  }
}