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Cite as: [2003] EWLC 284
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      The Law Commission

      (LAW COM No 284)

      RENTING HOMES

      Report on a reference under section 3(1)(e) of the Law

      Commissions Act 1965

      Presented to the Parliament of the United Kingdom by the Lord High Chancellor
      by Command of Her Majesty

      November 2003
      Cm 6018 £xx.xx
      The Law Commission was set up by the Law Commissions Act 1965 for the purpose of promoting the reform of the law.
      The Law Commissioners are:
      The Honourable Mr Justice Toulson, Chairman
       Professor Hugh Beale QC
      Mr Stuart Bridge
      Professor Martin Partington CBE
      Judge Alan Wilkie QC
      The Chief Executive of the Law Commission is Mr Michael Sayers and its offices are at Conquest House, 37-38 John Street, Theobalds Road, London WC1N 2BQ.
      The terms of this report were agreed on 6 October 2003.
      The text of this report is available on the Internet at:
      http://www.lawcom.gov.uk

      CONTENTS

      PART I: INTRODUCTORY MATTERS Part I
      The status of this report 1.1
      Points to note 1.5
      Nomenclature 1.10
         
      PART II: BACKGROUND Part II
      Introduction 2.1
           Terms of reference 2.6
      Developing our proposals 2.10
           Objectives 2.10
           Principles 2.11
      Our working methods 2.13
           Housing advisory group 2.14
           Supported housing 2.15
           Public meetings, conferences and seminars 2.16
           Responses to Consultation Papers 2.17
           Media 2.18
      Regulatory impact 2.20
      The relationship of our proposals to the development of housing policy 2.23
      The scope of the project: exclusions 2.25
           Disrepair 2.26
           Tenancy deposits 2.27
           Rent control and regulation 2.28
           Housing benefit 2.30
           The right to buy and right to acquire 2.32
           The right to manage 2.33
      Recommendations for future work 2.37
           Promoting responsible landlordism 2.38
           Promoting responsible occupier behaviour 2.39
           Adjudication 2.41
         
      PART III: THE SCHEME IN OUTLINE Part IIII
      The consumer approach (part IV) 3.2
      Agreements and their use (part V) 3.7
      Scope of the scheme (part VI) 3.12
      The written agreement (part VII) 3.21
      Structure and content of the agreement (part VIII) 3.28
      Termination of agreements and proceedings for possession (part IX) 3.32
      Specific issues 3.53
           (1) Consent (part X) 3.55
           (2) Joint occupation (part XI) 3.59
           (3) Lodgers and sub-occupation agreements (part XII) 3.66
           (4) Transfer of rights of occupation (part XIII) 3.70
           (5) Effect of death on the occupation agreement (part IV) 3.74
      Anti-social behaviour (part XV) 3.77
      Supported housing (part XVI) 3.88
      The relationship between the proposed scheme and principles of land law 3.102
      Application to Wales 3.103
         
      PART IV: THE CONSUMER APPROACH Part IV
      Introduction 4.1
      Implications for the consumer approach 4.8
           The focus on the contractual agreement 4.9
           Model agreements 4.12
           Adapting the principles of the UTCCR 4.14
           Structure and language of occupation agreements 4.25
         
      PART V: THE AGREEMENT TYPES: Part V
      THEIR DEFINITION AND USE  
      Introduction 5.1
      Agreement types 5.3
           Default positions 5.9
           Common features 5.12
           Particular features 5.13
      Use of the agreement types 5.15
           The social rented sector 5.15
           Private landlords 5.52
      Facility to "write up" the terms of the agreement 5.53
      The position in Wales 5.54
         
      PART VI: THE SCOPE OF THE SCHEME Part VI
      Introduction 6.1
      Abolition of the six-months' moratorium 6.3
      Contracts granting the right to occupy as a home 6.17
           The lease-licence distinction 6.19
      Inclusions within the scheme 6.21
      Exclusions from the scheme 6.26
           Agreements coming within other schemes 6.27
           Other categories of exclusion on social policy grounds 6.29
      Abolition or amendment of existing statutory tests 6.30
           Rent 6.31
           Agreements for high or low rent 6.32
           The identity of the landlord 6.37
           Occupation as only or principal home 6.39
           Separateness and sharing 6.42
      Opting in and agreements with companies as "occupiers" 6.44
           Agreements where the company is the "occupier" 6.46
      Contracts with minors 6.47
      Application to existing agreements 6.49
           Converting existing agreements 6.51
           The Rent Act 1977 6.52
           Agricultural occupancies 6.55
           Mapping the current status of existing agreements on to the new types 6.61
         
      PART VII: THE WRITTEN AGREEMENT Part VII
      Introduction 7.1
           Principles for occupation agreements 7.2
      Formation of the contract 7.3
      The requirement for a written agreement 7.5
           Practical issues 7.13
           Cooling off 7.30
      Sanctions 7.35
           The rent sanction 7.38
           The procedural sanction 7.44
         
      PART VIII: THE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT Part VIII
      AND CONTENT OF THE AGREEMENT  
      Introduction 8.1
      The structure and language of the agreement 8.9
      Content of the agreement 8.11
      Key Terms 8.13
           Relationship of key terms with the UTCCR core terms 8.18
      Compulsory-minimum terms 8.21
           Terms relating to security of tenure 8.25
           Terms relating to the operation of the agreement 8.26
           Terms relating to issues implied by statute or common law 8.27
      Special terms 8.70
      Other terms 8.74
           Default and substitute terms 8.75
           Additional terms 8.81
      Variation of the terms of occupation agreements 8.89
           Varying terms 8.91
           Rules for different agreement types 8.99
           Notification of variations: provisions of a copy in writing 8.117
      Issues to be dealt with outside the contract 8.121
         
      PART IX : TERMINATION OF AGREEMENTS Part IX
      PROCEEDINGS FOR POSSESSION  
      Introduction 9.1
      Termination by landlords 9.5
      Due process 9.6
           Notice of intention to take proceedings 9.9
           Court order 9.14
      Grounds for possession 9.15
           Availability of grounds 9.18
           Definition of grounds 9.24
      Notice requirements 9.45
           Discretionary proceedings 9.46
           Mandatory proceedings 9.56
      Abandonment 9.61
      Ending of fixed-term agreements 9.78
      Powers of the court 9.81
           Discretionary grounds 9.81
           Mandatory grounds 9.99
           Public law challenges 9.101
      Termination by occupier 9.109
           Termination by occupiers notice 9.110
           Joint occupiers 9.115
           Termination where occupier does not leave after giving notice 9.117
         
      PART X: SPECIFIC ISSUES 1: CONSENT Part X
      REQUIREMENTS  
      Introduction 10.1
      Consent: the available options 10.4
      Terms in the agreement relating to consent 10.6
           The effect on the landlord of an unauthorised occupant entering the premises 10.9
      Structuring decisions relating to the reasonableness of withholding consent 10.13
         
      PART XI: SPECIFIC ISSUES 2: JOINT Part XI
      OCCUPATION  
      Introduction 11.1
      Joint occupation agreements 11.3
           Numbers 11.11
           Survivorship 11.13
      Adding new parties to the agreement 11.16
      Joint occupiers leaving the agreement 11.25
           Notice 11.25
           Abandonment 11.31
      Additional ground for possession if a joint occupier withdraws from the agreement 11.33
      Rights of non-contractual occupiers in relation to possession proceedings 11.36
      Amendments to the Family Law Act 1996 11.40
         
      PART XII: SPECIFIC ISSUES 3: LODGERS Part XII
      AND SUB-OCCUPATION  
      Introduction 12.1
      Lodgers 12.2
           Type I agreements 12.5
           Type II agreement 12.6
           Status of the lodger 12.8
      Sub-occupation agreements 12.9
         
      PART XIII: SPECIFIC ISSUES 4: Part XIII
      TRANSFERRING RIGHTS OF OCCUPATION  
      Introduction 13.1
      The default position 13.5
      Exceptions 13.6
           Transfers to potential successors 13.8
           (Mutual) exchanges 13.17
           Family court orders 13.25
      Formalities for transfers 13.26
      Effect of a transfer 13.33
         
      PART XIV: SPECIFIC ISSUES 5: Part XIV
      THE EFFECT OF DEATH ON THE OCCUPATION AGREEMENT  
      Introduction 14.1
           Estate management ground for possession 14.9
      The position where an occupier dies, leaving no other joint occupier or statutory successor 14.12
      Joint occupiers and the principle of survivorship 14.21
      The statutory succession scheme 14.23
           The rationale of our proposals 14.25
           Spouse/partner – the "priority successor" 14.29
           Members of the family and carers – the "standard successor" 14.35
      The position where an occupier under a fixed-term agreement dies 14.58
         
      PART XV: ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR Part XV
      Introduction 15.1
      Policy objective 15.8
           Domestic violence 15.11
           Which landlords? 15.12
      A general duty on social landlords to deal with anti-social behaviour 15.17
      A special anti-social behaviour term 15.20
      Remedies for anti-social behaviour 15.23
      Exceptional use of type II agreements to prevent or respond to anti- social behaviour 15.34
           Demotion 15.37
      Domestic violence 15.40
         
      PART XVI: SUPPORTED HOUSING Part XVI
      Introduction 16.1
      Definitions 16.5
      Legal status of the occupiers of supported housing 16.8
           Exclusions 16.9
           Exceptional use of type II by social landlords 16.15
           Management control 16.24
           Police exclusion order 16.29
           Type I occupation agreements 16.39
      Conclusion 16.41
         
      ANNEX A: THE HOUSING ADVISORY GROUP ANNEX A
         
      ANNEX B: SUPPORTED HOUSING SEMINAR, 9 JULY 2002 – LIST OF ATTENDEES ANNEX B
         
      ANNEX C: TABLE OF EVENTS ANNEX C
         
      ANNEX D: RESPONSES TO CONSULTATION PAPERS ANNEX D
      Annex D1: Responses to CP 162 ANNEX D1
      Annex D2: Responses to CP 168 ANNEX D2

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