Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014

Disqualifications from purchase

23. (1) A housing authority shall not proceed with the sale of a house under this Part to a tenant where—

(a) (i) at any time during the 3 years immediately before applying to the authority to purchase a house under this Part, the tenant or a member of his or her household was in arrears of rent, rent contributions, charges, fees or any other moneys due and owing to a housing authority or an approved body for an accumulated period of 12 weeks or more in respect of a dwelling or site to which Chapter 3 of Part 2 of the Act of 2009 relates, and

(ii) subject to subsection (2), the tenant or the household member concerned has not entered into rescheduling arrangements with the housing authority or approved body concerned for the payment of such arrears, or, having entered into such arrangements, has not, in the opinion of the authority or body, substantially complied with their terms,

or

(b) the tenant had previously purchased a dwelling under section 90 of the Principal Act, Part 3 or 4 of the Act of 2009 or this Part.

(2) In applying subsection (1) (a)(ii), a housing authority shall disregard the case where the authority or the approved body concerned is satisfied that the failure of the tenant or household member concerned to substantially comply with the terms of the rescheduling arrangements was due to circumstances outside the control of such tenant or household member.