Other local authority powers
Local authorities have powers to bring unfit properties up to certain minimum standards. Compared with your rights, these powers are more detailed and wide-ranging. However, the disadvantage is that you have to rely on a local authority’s willingness to use its powers, which can be limited, mainly due to budget restrictions. Such financial limitations are particularly relevant where mandatory grants are available to bring homes up to the relevant standard (see Chapter 12). In England and Wales, the relevant standard is prescribed by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System under Part I of the Housing Act 2004. Exactly what satisfies each of these standards is further defined in government guidance (see here). In Scotland, the relevant standard is the ‘tolerable standard’, which is less comprehensive.1s14 H(S)A 1987 Once a property has been identified as falling below the relevant standard, local councils have duties to inspect and make arrangements for dealing with it.
If you feel that your home falls below the relevant standard, contact your local authority.
Do you live in a house of multiple occupation?
In a house of multiple occupation (HMO), the manager should ensure that every fixed electrical installation is inspected and tested by a qualified person at intervals not exceeding five years. A certificate of such inspection is produced to the local housing authority within seven days of a request. 2Reg 7(3) Licensing and Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Additional Provisions) (England) Regulations 2007; Sutton and Another v Norwich City Council [2020] LLR 656