Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1997

Letting and sale of local authority housing.

14.—(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Housing Acts, 1966 to 1992, or in a scheme made under section 11 of the Housing Act, 1988 , a housing authority may refuse to make or defer the making of a letting of a dwelling to a person where—

(a) the authority considers that the person is or has been engaged in anti-social behaviour or that a letting to that person would not be in the interest of good estate management, or

(b) the person fails to provide information, including information relating to persons residing or to reside with that person, which is requested by the housing authority and which the authority considers necessary in connection with an application for the letting.

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in section 90 of the Housing Act, 1966 (inserted by section 26 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1992 ), or a purchase scheme under the said section 90 , a housing authority may refuse to sell a dwelling to a tenant where the authority considers that the tenant is or has been engaged in anti-social behaviour or that a sale to that tenant would not be in the interest of good estate management.

(3) Section 90 (12) of the Housing Act, 1966 (inserted by section 26 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1992 ), is hereby amended by the substitution of the following paragraph for paragraph (a)—

“(a) the housing authority may, without prejudice to any other power in that behalf, refuse to consent to a sale of a dwelling if they are of the opinion that—

(i) the intended purchaser is not a person in need of housing, or

(ii) the intended purchaser is or has been engaged in antisocial behaviour or that the intended sale of the dwelling would not be in the interest of good estate management, or

(iii) the intended sale would, if completed, leave the seller or any person who might reasonably be expected to reside with that person without adequate housing;”.