Explanatory note

These Regulations entitle a secure tenant of a prescribed landlord to have a qualifying repair carried out to the house of which he is the secure tenant (regulation 3) if the landlord does not have the repair carried out within specified time limits, and entitle the tenant also to compensation from his landlord if the repair is not carried out within those limits.

Regulation 3 provides that in respect of any single qualifying repair the landlord will pay for the work so carried out up to a maximum of £250.

Regulation 4 prescribes the landlords to which the regulations apply and regulation 5 and the Schedule the type of repair which is a qualifying repair. Regulation 6 requires a landlord to draw up and maintain a list of contractors prepared to carry out a qualifying repair.

Under Regulation 7, the tenant may apply to his landlord to have a qualifying repair carried out. Where the tenant unreasonably fails to provide access to let the repair be done that application and its consequences fall (regulation 8). If the qualifying repair has not been begun by the usual contractor instructed by the landlord by the last day of the maximum time prescribed by regulation 9 and column 2 of the Schedule, regulation 10 enables the tenant to instruct another contractor; where the tenant does so, regulation 10 requires that contractor to inform the landlord that he has been instructed and the landlord to tell that contractor the number of working days in the maximum time. Where the usual contractor fails to carry out the repair within the maximum time the tenant is entitled to compensation from the landlord of £10 for the work not being carried out by the last date of the maximum time and an additional amount (calculated under regulation 11) where the other contractor instructed by the tenant does not carry out the repair within the same number of days as “the maximum time”. Regulation 12 provides that the running of the period of the maximum time will stop temporarily when there are circumstances beyond the landlord’s or the contractor’s control which prevent the repair being carried out.

Regulation 13 requires the landlord to make its secure tenants aware once per year of the existence of these Regulations and of the list of contractors.