The current provisions in the Housing Act 2004 require local housing authorities, for properties that are neither flats nor subject to HMO or selective licensing, to serve improvement notices for hazards on the "person having control" of or the "person managing" the property. As a result, it may not always be possible to serve such notices on certain people with an interest in the property – for example, superior landlords in rent-to-rent arrangements. The intention of this section is to allow local housing authorities to serve improvement notices on the person best placed to ensure remedial action is taken in respect of the hazard.
Part 4: Enforcement Chapter 1 – Sanctions Section 106: Service of improvement notices on landlords and licensors Background