The Housing Defects (Reinstatement Grant) (Amendment of Conditions for Assistance) Order 1988
Under Part XVI of the Housing Act 1985 (“the Act”) the owner of a defective dwelling (one in a class designated by the Secretary of State or the local housing authority) can, if the appropriate conditions are satisfied, require the local housing authority either to give him a grant towards the reinstatement of the dwelling or to repurchase it. The conditions for determining whether assistance takes the form of a reinstatement grant or repurchase at 95% defect-free value, are set out in sections 537 and 538 of the Act. One of those conditions (section 538(1)(d)) is that if the amount of grant is likely to exceed the total amount payable on repurchase (including incidental expenses) assistance must be by way of repurchase.