Background and Overview Part 1 – Homelessness and Allocation of Housing Section 7: Persons living in hostel and other short-term accommodation
18.This section enables the Scottish Ministers to make regulations to establish minimum rights for homeless people living in hostels and other types of short-term accommodation. Subsection (1)enables Ministers to specify the types of occupancy of accommodation to which these minimum rights will apply. Subsection (2)sets out a number of types of occupancy of accommodation which cannot be included in any regulations. Subsections (3), (5) and (6)enable Ministers to specify the terms of occupancy of the accommodation, including arrangements for appeals, but do not prevent additional agreements being made between the provider of accommodation and the occupier. Subsection (4) requires regulations under subsection (3) to include provision for a minimum period of notice, which may be waived when there is a serious danger to other occupiers or staff of the accommodation. Subsection (7)makes it a criminal offence for a provider of accommodation to fail to comply with the terms of the regulations. Subsection (8)sets out the consultation arrangements which would apply to the regulations.