Section 66 Powers of the First-tier Tribunal on reference of contracts.F14

Where a Part VII contract is referred to F1the First-tier Tribunal and the reference is not, before the F2First-tier Tribunal has entered upon consideration of it, withdrawn by the party . . . F3 who made it, the F4First-tier Tribunal shall consider it and then, after making such inquiry as F5it thinks fit and giving to each party to the contract and, if the dwelling-house is or forms part of a dwelling-house to which section F6203 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 applies, to the local authority, an opportunity of being heard or, at his or F7its option, of submitting representations in writing, the First-tier Tribunal, subject to subsection (2) below,—

and shall notify the parties and the local authority of its decision.

On the reference of a Part VII contract relating to a dwelling-house for which a rent is registered under Part V of this Act, the F9First-tier Tribunal may not reduce the rent payable under the contract below the amount which would be recoverable from the tenant under a regulated tenancy of the dwelling-house.

An approval, reduction or increase under this section may be limited to rent payable in respect of a particular period.

Where the rent under a Part VII contract has been registered under section 67 below, F10the First-tier Tribunal shall not be required to entertain a reference, made otherwise than by the lessor and the lessee jointly, for the registration of a different rent for the dwelling-house concerned before the expiry of the period of three years beginning on the date on which the rent was last considered by the F11First-tier Tribunal, except on the ground that, since that date, there has been such a change in the condition of the dwelling-house, the furniture or services provided, the terms of the contract or any other circumstaces taken into consideration when the rent was last considered as to make the registered rent no longer a reasonable rent.

F13The First-tier Tribunal shall not entertain a reference under subsection (4) above on the ground only that, since the relevant date, there has been a change in the amount of council tax payable in respect of the dwelling-house.