Housing Act, 1969

General obligation to obtain permission.

2.—(1) Subject to section 9, permission shall be required under this Act in respect of—

(a) the demolition, either in whole or in part, other than a demolition for the purpose of providing an extension or other improvement or for the purpose of carrying out works of maintenance, and

(b) the use otherwise than for human habitation,

of any habitable house.

(2) A person shall not carry out any demolition or cause or permit any change of use of a house in respect of which permission is required under subsection (1) save under and in accordance with a permission granted under this Act.

(3) Any person who contravenes subsection (2) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds (together with, in the case of a continuing offence, a further fine not exceeding ten pounds for every day on which the offence is continued) or, at the discretion of the court, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to both the fine and the imprisonment.

(4) Where an offence under this section is committed by a body corporate or by a person purporting to act on behalf of a body corporate or an unincorporated body of persons, and is proved to have been so committed with the consent or approval of, or to have been facilitated by any default on the part of any person being, in the case of a body corporate, a director, manager, secretary or other officer thereof, or in the case of an unincorporated body, a member of the committee of management or other controlling authority thereof, that person shall also be guilty of the offence.