HC Deb 12 April 1984 vol 58 cc617-8

Lords amendment: No 79, after clause 24, insert the following new clause— .In section 39 of the 1980 Act (rent not to be increased on account of tenant's improvements) for paragraph (b) there shall be substituted the following paragraphs—

  1. "(b) if he has died and on his death the tenancy vested under section 30 above, at any time whilst the person in whom the tenancy so vested is a secure tenant of that dwelling-house; or
  2. (c) if he has assigned the tenancy and the assignment was made as mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b) of section 37(1) above, at any time whilst the assignee is a secure tenant of that dwelling-house; or
  3. (d) if the tenancy has been transferred to his spouse or former spouse by an order under paragraph 2 of Schedule 1 to the Matrimonial Homes Act 1983, at any time whilst the transferee is a secure tenant of that dwelling-house"."

Mr. Wyn Roberts

I beg to move, that this House doth agree with the Lords amendment.

The amendment fulfils an undertaking given when the Bill was in Committee. The Government accepted in principle the argument that the benefit of section 39 of the Housing Act 1980, under which a landlord must disregard improvements carried out by a secure tenant in determining an increase in rent, should not be confined to the tenant and, on his death. to his successor spouse. The amendment therefore extends the benefit of section 39 to members of the tenant's family.

Question put and agreed to.

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