Human Rights at Home - Guidance for Social Housing Providers March 2011 by Equalities & Human Rights...

8/6/2019 Human Rights at Home - Guidance for Social Housing Providers March 2011 by Equalities & Human Rights Commis

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Equality and Human Rights CommissionGuidance

Guidance for social housingproviders

Humanrights athome:


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Foreword 2

Introduction 5

1. What are human rights and where do they come from? 8

2. How does the Human Rights Act work? 9

3. Which organisations are subject to the Human Rights Act? 11

4. Which human rights are protected by the Human

Rights Act? 135. What does the Human Rights Act mean for social

housing providers, in practice? 15 Allocation of housing 16The terms of tenancy agreements 19Housing conditions: Repairs and maintenance 21

Aids and adaptations Environmental impact 22

Rent arrears and other breaches of tenancy conditions 23 Anti-social behaviour Relationship breakdown 26Death and succession 27Buying the home 29Specialist housing accommodation and specialist housing services 29Long leaseholders 30Change of landlord 30

Termination of tenancy and eviction 31Social housing providers in Scotland 32

6. How to make decisions which comply with theHuman Rights Act 34

7. Is my organisation subject to other rules which affectpublic authorities? 39

Appendix 1: The Convention Rights 41 Appendix 2: Glossary 44 Appendix 3: The Commission: Who we are and how we

can help 46 Appendix 4: Find out more 47 Appendix 5: Advisory group members 48

Contents

www.equalityhumanrights.com
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/


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Human rights at home: Guidance for social housing providers

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Human rights have special significance in relationto social housing. Quality of housing can have ahuge impact on wellbeing. Inadequate housingincreases the risk of severe ill health and disability;it can also lead to poor mental health, lowereducational attainment, unemployment and poverty.The importance of housing is recognised in theUnited Nations Covenant on Economic, Social andCultural Rights, which includes the right of everyoneto an adequate standard of living for himself and hisfamily, including adequate ... housing. The UnitedKingdom is legally bound by this treaty. Protectingpeoples human rights in housing is thereforeimportant in its own right.

Foreword

If you work in social housing, this guide isfor you. Poor housing can affect a personshealth, work, education, relationshipsand life chances, which is why the rightto respect for a persons home is in the

Human Rights Act. By providing socialhousing in a way that is compatible withhuman rights laws, your organisation canmake a positive difference to peoples lives.

There have been a number of recent casesin British courts as well as the EuropeanCourt of Human Rights concerning thehousing rights of individuals. This can beconfusing for social housing providers, so

as we learn more about what human rightsmean for tenants and their landlords, we want to help you get it right.


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This guidance is intended to be a practicaltool, to build your understanding andconfidence in your ability to spot and deal with human rights issues. It providesexamples of how human rights can be

relevant throughout the housing journey from allocation to the termination of atenancy. It also provides a checklist tohelp social housing providers review their policies and practices for humanrights compatibility and address any issues effectively.

The Equality and Human RightsCommission (the Commission) hasdeveloped this guidance in closeconsultation with key stakeholders inthe social housing sector across Britain.

We would like to express our thanks tothe advisory group for their invaluablehelp. We hope you will find it useful, and we look forward to working with you to bring human rights into the homes of your tenants.

Kay Carberry and ProfessorGeraldine Van Bueren,

Commissioners


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Who is this guidance for and what willit tell you?

This guidance is intended to help those who work for social housing providers, such as housingassociations or local authorities, to comply withthe Human Rights Act 1998 (the HRA or the Act). 1

Introduction

This guidance should:

help you to understand how the HRA works and the rights it protects

help you to work out whether yourorganisation is subject to the HRA

help you to make sure you and yourorganisation comply with the HRA when providing social housing, and

provide you and your organisation withgood practice examples to help youidentify potential human rights issuesand take appropriate action.

This guidance is not:

a complete guide to all housing law and regulation. It should be used tosupplement other housing guidanceand codes of practice

an exhaustive explanation of the HRA.It should not be used as a substitute forlegal advice

intended to help you fulfil yourobligations under laws abouthomelessness or to determinehousing needs

designed for private landlords. Butthey may wish to refer to this guide

for examples of good practice, orguidance in relation to social housingproviders obligations under theEquality Act 2010. Your organisation will have obligations under that Act.The Commissions guidance on theEquality Act is available on its website.

1 Social housing providers which contract out the management of their housing stock to, for example, an ALMO (arms length management organisation), should alsoensure that this guidance is brought to the attention of that organisation.


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This guidance is designed fororganisations operating in England,Scotland and Wales. Where the relevant

law is different in Scotland or Wales, thishas been indicated in the text orfootnotes. There is also a section inChapter 5 which relates specifically tothose organisations operating inScotland. In summary, while both theScottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly have the power to make lawsrelating to social housing, those lawsmust be compatible with the rightsprotected in the HRA. In addition, theHRA applies to all of the UnitedKingdom, so if a social housing providercarries out public functions in providingsocial housing, it must comply with theHRA in doing so, wherever it operates inthe UK.

The next part of this guidance explains

why it is important to comply with theHRA. An explanation of what humanrights are can be found in Chapter 1 andChapter 2 explains how the HRA works.Chapter 3 should help you work out whether your organisation is subject tothe HRA. A brief summary of those rights which are most likely to be relevant tosocial housing is set out in Chapter 4. The

other rights contained in the HRA aredescribed in Appendix 1. Chapter 5 givessome specific guidance on how the HRA is likely to affect your work in providingsocial housing. Chapter 6 provides someguidance on how to make decisions which comply with the HRA. The finalpart, Chapter 7, discusses otherimplications of being subject to the HRA. Appendices 2, 3, 4 and 5 contain aglossary, information about the Equality

and Human Rights Commission anddetails of where to find further help andthe advisory group members.

Why comply with the HumanRights Act?

It is important for society that socialhousing is provided in a way which iscompatible with human rights. Humanrights are about treating people withdignity and respect. These values should be basic standards for any public service.

Human rights have special significance inrelation to social housing. Quality of housing can have a huge impact on wellbeing. Inadequate housing increasesthe risk of severe ill health and disability;it can also lead to poor mental health,lower educational attainment,unemployment and poverty. 2 Theimportance of housing is recognised inthe United Nations Covenant onEconomic, Social and Cultural Rights, which includes the right of everyone toan adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate ...housing. Protecting peoples humanrights in housing is therefore importantin its own right.

Taking human rights into account when

designing and delivering your services isalso good for business. It is likely toimprove the quality of your service andimprove your organisations reputation.Making sure you comply with humanrights can also improve yourorganisations performance duringinspection and regulation. For example, you may be unable to meet the standardsset by the relevant regulator relating toquality of accommodation, maintenance

2 Lisa Harker, Chance of a Lifetime , Shelter, September 2006, p8.


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and tenure if you breach human rights indelivering these aspects of your service.Chapter 5 tells you how human rightsrelate to these areas of your work.

Some social housing providers are alsorequired by law to comply with the HRA.Therefore, it is important for legal reasonsthat your organisations policies andpractices, and the way in which it deliversits services, respect human rights. If yourorganisation fails to comply with itsobligations under the HRA it may experience:

customer complaints

criticism from the relevant regulator

legal proceedings initiated by yourcustomers or other affected people,and/or

scrutiny by the Equality and HumanRights Commission.

If your organisation complies with theHRA, it will avoid these difficulties and be able to concentrate on delivering itscore business.



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8

After World War 2, in order to ensure thatthe atrocities which occurred during the war would never be repeated, nations agreed thateveryone would enjoy basic rights, like theright to life and the right to be free fromtorture. These agreements are like contractsand are called international treaties orconventions. 3 They contain standards thateach State must comply with, setting out the basic levels of treatment that all individualsdeserve because they are human.

The UK is signed up to a treaty called theEuropean Convention on Human Rights(ECHR). The Convention is made up of

articles which set out the human rightsprotected. If a person thinks that theirhuman rights have been breached by a State which is a party to the ECHR (and satisfiescertain conditions), he or she can take a caseto the European Court of Human Rights(ECtHR).

The HRA makes most of the rights in theECHR part of our own law in the UK. Itallows people to take cases to a court in theUK about the human rights contained in the

ECHR. It also makes sure that those humanrights are protected in the UK in a number of other ways. These are explained in Chapter 2.

1. What are human rightsand where do they come from?

Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to everyone. They mean that everyone should

be treated fairly, with dignity and respect. Britain hasa long history of protecting human rights and these values have been central to our democratic systemfor many years.

3 Several human rights treaties have been agreed by members of the United Nations. By becoming a party to these treaties the UK agreed to protect additional human rights, but itis not possible to bring cases in relation to these treaties in UK courts. The main ones arethe International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights , the International

Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discriminationagainst Women, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or DegradingTreatment or Punishment, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Conventionon the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.


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2. How does the HumanRights Act (HRA) work?

There are 16 rights in the HRA, which are all takenfrom the ECHR. For this reason, they are referred toas the Convention Rights.

The HRA requires all public authorities(such as central government departments,local authorities and NHS Trusts andBoards, as well as the devolvedadministrations) and other bodiesperforming public functions (such asprivate companies operating prisons andsome housing associations) to treat peoplein accordance with the Convention Rights,

unless required by an Act of the Westminster Parliament to do somethingincompatible with the Convention Rights.These organisations can also have a duty to stop other people or companies fromabusing human rights in certainsituations. For example, where a publicauthority knows that a child is beingabused by its parents it has a duty to takesteps to protect the child from inhuman ordegrading treatment.

If an individual thinks their human rightshave been breached by a public authority or someone carrying out a public function,they can take a court case in the UK courts against the body that appears tohave breached them. This means that if your organisation is subject to the HRA,

you must think about how your work might affect peoples human rights.This is important both when you aredesigning your organisations policies and

practices and when you are delivering yourservice to the public. Chapter 5 explainshow the way in which you treat people inproviding social housing could affect theirhuman rights.

The HRA also says that, as far as possible,other laws should be interpreted in a way which does not breach the Convention

Rights. So courts may read into thelegislation a meaning that is compatible with human rights, even if the law doesnot seem to have that meaning at firstsight. This means that when a law requires you to do something, you should interpretthe requirement in a way which iscompatible with the human rights in theHRA unless it is not possible to do so.

In considering questions about humanrights, the courts must take into accountany decisions made by the ECtHR if itthinks they are relevant. UK courts are notrequired to make the same decisions asthe ECtHR.

If a court or tribunal is considering a law which was made by the Westminster

Parliament and it is not possible tointerpret it in a way which would becompatible with human rights, the court will make a declaration of


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Working Better Guidance

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incompatibility. This does not change thelaw or stop it being applied. Governmentand Parliament then decide whether and

when to amend the law in question. If acourt or tribunal is considering legislationpassed by the Scottish Parliament or the Welsh Assembly in a case and cannotinterpret it in a way which is compatible with human rights, it may decide thatthat law, or a particular section of that law,is invalid.

When the Westminster governmentpresents a proposal to Parliament that it would like to become law, the Minister who is in charge of the law must make astatement, called the statement of compatibility. This statement must eithersay that in the Ministers opinion the

proposed law is compatible with theConvention Rights, or that it isincompatible with the Convention Rights

but the government wishes to go aheadand make the law. This does not changethe law or stop it being made or applied. Itis intended to encourage the governmentto think about the effect the law will haveon human rights.

In Scotland, the relevant Minister and thePresiding Officer must make statements of compatibility. They cannot make astatement of incompatibility because alllegislation passed by the ScottishParliament must comply with humanrights and may be invalidated by a court if it does not.


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3. Which organisations aresubject to the HRA?

The HRA says it is unlawful for a public authority to act in a way which is incompatible with theConvention Rights unless required to do so by an Actof Parliament. Local authorities are public authorities

and will have to comply with the HRA in everythingthey do, including when acting as a social landlord orin allocating or disposing of housing stock. The HRA also says that when other organisations which are notpublic authorities carry out public functions they mustcomply with the Convention Rights in doing so.

Recently, the Court of Appeal decided thata housing association was performingpublic functions when allocating andmanaging social housing. 4 The association was therefore required to respect tenantshuman rights in doing so. The courtsdecision was based on the following factors:

the housing associations work wassubsidised by the State

the housing association was grantedspecial intrusive powers by law, such asthe power to apply for an anti-social behaviour orderthe housing association was workingclosely with local government to helpthe local authority achieve its dutiesunder the law, and

the housing association was providinga public service of a type which thegovernment would normally provide.That is, providing housing at below market rents.

The court made clear that its decisiononly related to the particular housingassociation under consideration in thecase. However, other housing associations which operate in similar circumstancesare also likely to be subject to the HRA. 5

If you are not sure whether yourorganisation is likely to be subject to theHRA, it is advisable, both to avoid the risk of a claim being brought against you andas a matter of good practice, that you carry out your business in a way which complies with the Convention Rights.

4 R (Weaver) v London & Quadrant Housing Trust [2009] EWCA Civ 587; [2010] 1 WLR 363; [2009] HLR 40, CA.

5 See, for example, Eastlands Home Partnership Ltd v White [2010] EWHC 695 (QB);and R (McIntyre) v Gentoo Group Ltd [2010] EWHC 5 (Admin).


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There are 16 rights in the HRA. Everyone has theserights, regardless of their immigration status orcitizenship. The rights contained in Articles 6, 8and 14 are those which are most likely to be relevantto your work in social housing. These rights areexplained briefly below. Appendix 1 contains a

brief explanation of the other Convention Rights.Chapter 5 explains how these might relate to your

work in social housing.

4. Which human rights areprotected by the HRA?

The HRA recognises the need to protectthe rights of the wider community whileprotecting each individuals humanrights. There are three types of right:

Absolute rights: These cannot be breached or restricted under any circumstances.

Limited rights: These can be limited inthe particular circumstances set out in

each Article.Qualified rights: These can be limitedto the extent necessary to achievecertain important objectives, likeprotecting public health, or security.This allows a balance between theright of the individual and theinterests of the community. But any restriction on an individuals human

rights must be permitted by law andmust be no greater than necessary toachieve the objective. The idea thatany interference with a qualified

right must not be excessive in thecircumstances is known asproportionality.

We explain below and in Appendix 1 whether and how each right can berestricted.

Article 6: Right to a fair trial

Article 6 is an absolute right. Everyonehas the right to a fair and public hearing, before an independent and impartialtribunal, within a reasonable time. Thisright applies where someones privaterights are at stake, such as in contractualor property disputes. It also applies tocriminal trials. The right to a fair hearingmeans, broadly, that a person should begiven the opportunity to participate

effectively in any hearing of their case,and to present their case in conditions which do not place them at a substantialdisadvantage when compared with the


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other party in the case. For example, aperson who is subject to a decision-making process in relation to a possible

eviction should have access to aninterpreter, if necessary. Decisions should be given with reasons. Article 6 is likely to be particularly relevant in review or appealproceedings which would determine atenants rights. However, it may not benecessary for decision-making to fulfil allthe conditions of a fair hearing if a personhas access to a subsequent appeal process which would satisfy these requirements.

Article 8: Right to respect forprivate life, family life and the home

Everyone has the right to respect for theirprivate and family life and also the right torespect for their home andcorrespondence. Private life has a very wide meaning. People should be able tolive in privacy and be able to live their lifein the way that they choose. Theirpersonal information should be keptprivate and confidential. The right torespect for a persons home is not a rightto housing, but is a persons right to accessand live in their home without intrusion orinterference. The right to respect forfamily life includes the right for a family tolive together. You should take positive

steps to prevent other people seriously undermining a persons home or privatelife, for example, through serious pollutionor anti-social behaviour.

Article 8 is a qualified right. This meansthat you cannot interfere with the right,for example by forcing people to leave

their homes, unless you are acting in theinterests of national security, publicsafety or the economic wellbeing of thecountry, for the prevention of disorderor crime, for the protection of health ormorals, or for the protection of therights and freedoms of others. You must be acting in accordance with the law andthere must be no less intrusive way of achieving your objective.

Article 14: Prohibition of discrimination

This means that everyone must haveequal access to the other rightscontained in the HRA, regardless of their race, religion, gender, sexualorientation, disability, political views orany other personal characteristic. Forexample, the HRA means that a gay couple has to be treated in the same ways as a heterosexual couple in relationto the right to succeed to a tenancy. Inorder to gain protection under Article14, the treatment complained of mustrelate to one of the other ConventionRights, but it need not amount to a breach of that other right. Article 14 is a

qualified right. A difference in treatmentcan only be justified if there is a goodreason for the treatment and if it isproportionate in the light of that reason. Article 14 does not list the legitimatereasons which would justify a differencein treatment.


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does not normally give anyone a right to a home or to any particular form of accommodation 6; it contains a right torespect for a home that a personalready has

does not contain an absolute right.Even accommodation that has been apersons home for all of their life can be taken away in the circumstancesprovided for by the Article itself. The Article stipulates that the right torespect can be qualified by lawfulaction taken by a public authority which is in pursuit of a prescribed

Three of the Convention Rights have aparticular role to play in the context of social housing. They are Article 6 (theright to a fair determination of civilrights), Article 8 (which includes the rightto respect for a home), and Article 14

(enjoyment of the Convention Rights without discrimination).

These Articles are each outlined inChapter 4 but it is particularly importantto emphasise that Article 8 and inparticular the right it contains to respectfor a home which might be thoughtapplicable in most housing situations:

Those social housing providers which are subject tothe HRA will need to ensure that they comply with

the Convention Rights (described in Chapter 4 and Appendix 1) whenever they deal with an applicantfor housing, or a tenant, or any other occupier or, insome circumstances, a former resident. This part of the guidance looks at how the HRA may impact on asocial housing providers services from allocation of accommodation, at one end of the spectrum, totermination and eviction at the other.

5. What does the HRA mean for social housingproviders, in practice?

6 Chapman v United Kingdom (2001) 10 BHRR 48 at [99].


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legitimate aim, 7 is necessary, and isproportionately taken, and

only applies to something properly

called a home . That term may notembrace very short term accommodationsuch as a hotel room 8 or transientaccommodation such as an unauthorisedencampment onto which a Traveller hasrecently moved. 9

Allocation of housing

The HRA does not give anyone a right to theprovision of a home from a particular socialhousing provider. In some circumstances,the Convention Rights would require theUK to provide shelter for those who are so vulnerable that they would not receiverespect for their family life or private life if they were left on the streets (perhaps by reason of their disability or destitution 10), but the HRA does not impose an obligationon any individual social housing provider todo so. Social housing providers obligationsto make housing available are to be found inthe ordinary housing legislation dealing

with allocation of social housing andhomelessness and in the relevantregulatory requirements.

Example: 11 An applicant householdcomplains that they have been registered with a social housing provider as needinga three-bedroom home with a garden inplace of their current small flat. They have been waiting six years and still nosuitable accommodation has beenoffered to them. No Convention Right isinvolved here. There is no right to a

home in the Human Rights Act. There isno human right to a garden.

However, in schemes for managingapplications for housing, social housingproviders will need to avoid unjustifieddiscrimination (which may be contrary to Article 14) and procedural unfairness(which may be contrary to Article 6). Inparticular, rules which unjustifiably discriminate between housing applicants ongrounds such as marital status, age, gender,disability or nationality 12 may amount to

7 The legitimate aims prescribed in Article 8 are the interests of national security, publicsafety or the economic wellbeing of the country, for the prevention of disorder or crime,for the protection of health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedomsof others.

8 ORourke v UK (26 June 2001, Application No 39022/97) ECtHR.9 Leeds City Council v Price [2006] UKHL 10, [2006] 2 AC 465, HL and Hounslow

LBC v Powell [2011] UKSC8 [33], SC.

10 Marzari v Italy [1999] 28 EHRR CD 175 and Secretary of State for the Home Department v Limbuela & Ors [2005] UKHL 66, HL.

11 Throughout this part of the guidance we use examples to illustrate how the immediately preceding text might be understood and applied. In some cases the examples are loosely based on previous decisions of the courts but the majority simply represent theCommissions guidance on how the Human Rights Act might apply to specific factualsituations.

12 Though where a social housing provider is required by law to differentiate betweenapplicants on the basis of nationality, it would not breach the Human Rights Act indoing so.


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unlawful discrimination under domesticequality legislation and also breach theConvention Rights protected by the HRA. 13

Most social housing providers will havetheir own rules about the allocation of theirhousing. For local housing authorities,some of the rules are imposed by legislation(for example, that applicants of a particularimmigration status are not eligible). Even if the application of such a statutory ruleinfringes a Convention Right, the localauthority will not be acting unlawfully in

applying it because it had no alternative but to comply with the statute. 14 On theother hand, if a social housing providerdecides to adopt for itself a rule abouteligibility for allocation of social housing, which does not have a legitimate aim or isnot proportionate, this may be a breach of Article 14.

Example: A social housing providerhas an allocation scheme under whichonly married couples or couples in civilpartnerships can be considered for jointtenancies. Such a scheme may amountto an unlawful breach of Article 14unless the housing provider can justify its failure to allocate joint tenancies tounmarried couples or other pairs of applicants. While decisions about

allocations cannot amount to a breach

of Article 8, a tenant could bring a claimin relation to Article 14 because thetreatment falls within the ambit of

Article 8.15

Example: Another provider requiresall applicants to renew their applicationsannually by completing a form inhandwriting, signing it and attendingfor interview at the providers offices.That provider will need to take steps toensure that it has built-in sufficientflexibility to deal with renewals by those

for whom English is not a first language(including those whose first language isBritish Sign Language), or are unable toread or write, or who have a visualimpairment, or other disability thatmakes completion of the form orattendance at the providers officesunreasonably difficult.

Example: A group of social housing

providers operate a choice-based lettingssystem which involves properties beingadvertised online. The providers willneed to ensure that the online materialsare available in accessible formats andthat arrangements are in place for thoseapplicants without computer access toget information, in accessible formats,about properties and how to bid forthem. 16

13 See the homelessness cases in which nationality has had an adverse impact on theassistance available: Husenatu Bah v The United Kingdom 56328/07 [2006] ECHR 2060 (1 December 2009) following Westminster City Council v Morris [2005] EWCA Civ 1184, [2006] 1 WLR 505.

14 See Westminster City Council v Morris [2005] EWCA Civ 1184, [2006] 1 WLR 505, CA.15 See Rodriguez v Gibraltar [2009] UKPC 52; [2010] UKHRR 144, PC.16 See Choice-based Lettings, Potentially Disadvantaged Groups and Accessible Housing

Registers and Costs and Effectiveness of Accessible Housing Registers in a Choice-based Lettings Context (both from Department for Communities and LocalGovernment, February 2011).


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accommodation to a particularly vulnerable set of residents in anintensively supported housing

scheme).20

Example: Another providers tenancy conditions provide that no animal is to be kept in or on the premises. Thetenant wishes to keep a dog as acompanion. There is no human right tokeep a pet or to have an animalcompanion. 21 The provider would berequired to allow tenants to keep guide

dogs or hearing dogs in the property, asa reasonable adjustment to this policy,to avoid breaching Article 14. Incontrast, if residents already have petsand the provider introduces a new nopets policy requiring existing pets to beremoved, that might demonstrate aninterference with the residents right torespect for their home, which the socialhousing provider would have to show was a proportionate way of achievingone of the aims in Article 8.

There is no human right to stay in aparticular home for any particular lengthof time, or to enjoy any particular form of security of tenure. The social housingprovider and the tenant will be free toagree, subject to any law providing

otherwise and to any regulatory framework,how long a particular tenancy or otherform of occupation will last. However, thehuman right to respect for a home in Article

8 can be relevant if the social housingprovider seeks to terminate a tenancy before the period for which it might have

been expected to run.Example: A social housing providerencourages an elderly resident torelocate to new accommodation ongiving an express indication that shecan remain in her new home for therest of your life. If the provider thensome years later decides to displace theresident again, to yet another unit of

accommodation, the resident may wellassert that there has been an unlawfulfailure to afford her respect for herhome under Article 8. 22

The terms and conditions of the tenancy,or their enforcement, may give rise toissues under other Convention Rights.

Example: A social housing providers

standard terms of tenancy prevent theerection of any satellite dish or aerialon the exterior of the home. A disabledtenant is only able to engage in herparticular religious community if she isable to receive transmissions of specificreligious services held overseas whichare exclusively available by satellite.The term of the tenancy agreement,

and most particularly its enforcement,may amount to an unlawful breach of her human right to freedom of religionunder Article 9 (see Appendix 1). 23

20 See Orejudos v Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea [2003] EWCA Civ 1967 in which the issue was raised of whether a requirement to sign in daily at a hostel wascompatible with Article 8.

21 Artingstoll v United Kingdom (1995) 19 EHRR CD 92.22 See R (on the application of Coughlan) v North & East Devon Health Authority [1999]

EWCA Civ 1871, [2001] QB 213, CA.

23 See Khurshid Mustafa and Ttarzibachi v Sweden Application No. 23883/06 [2008]ECHR 1710.


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Example: An older disabled person who has an assistance dog lives inretirement accommodation. Through its

tenancy agreement, the housingprovider prohibits anyone living in itsaccommodation from keeping an animalin the property. The enforcement of thistenancy term may amount to anunlawful breach of Article 14.

Housing conditions: Repairs andmaintenance

Social housing providers will be subject tothe ordinary regulatory, statutory andcontractual obligations to repair ormaintain the home supplied. There is nohuman right to a home of a particularquality. So, for example, there is no humanright to central heating, double glazing,fitted kitchens and the like. Even themodern notion of a decent home, which isthe regulatory standard required of socialhousing providers, does not rest on any human rights. However, the courts haverecognised that in some situations housingconditions may be so bad or become so bad as to interfere with a tenantshuman rights. 24

Example: The structural integrity of aproperty becomes so bad that thetenant cannot have a stairlift fittedsafely to enable him to remain in hishome and has to leave. This is likely to be a breach of his Article 8 rights.

The human right to freedom frominhuman or degrading treatment (Article 3

see Appendix 1) would be relevant where ahome in appalling condition is provided toan occupier who had had no choice but to

take it. Short of that, something seriously wrong would need to occur before a sociallandlords failure to repair or maintain would lead to a breach of other humanrights (for example, under Article 8). 25

Example: A growing family, including young children, live in a cramped andovercrowded social housing property. By reason of lack of adequate heating and

ventilation systems there is extensivecondensation dampness causing illness. An intermittent fault in the water supply to the block of flats means that they arealso often without hot water in theevenings. The parents decide that they need to send the children away to live with other relatives to safeguard theirhealth and hygiene. This is likely toamount to a breach of the Article 8 rightto respect for private and family lifeand/or an interference with the right torespect for the home. That is because it would be unlikely that this treatment of the family could be objectively justifiedeven if the housing provider had noobligation to deal with the situationunder the tenancy agreement orhousing legislation.

Aids and adaptations

Social housing providers, especially localauthorities, are likely to be subject tostatutory or regulatory obligations toprovide certain aids to tenants, or permit

24 R (Bernard) v Enfield LBC [2003] BLGR 423, [2003] UKHRR 148, [2003] HLR 27,[2003] HRLR 4, [2002] EWHC 2282 (Admin) and Anufrijeva v Southwark LBC [2004] QB 1124, [2004] HLR 22, [2004] HRLR 1, 15 BHRC 526, [2003] EWCA Civ 1406, [2004] UKHRR 1, [2004] BLGR 184.

25 Lee v Leeds CC [2002] EWCA Civ 6, [2002] 1 WLR 1488 and Erskine, R (on theapplication of) v Lambeth [2003] EWHC 2479 (Admin).


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Environmental impact

The social housing providers obligation toshow respect for the homes of those living

within its stock goes beyond a simplerequirement to restrain from unjustifiedinterference. It can also impose positiveobligations to take measures to ensurethat adverse environmental circumstancesdo not put a home, or the enjoyment of it,at risk.

Public authorities (including some social

housing providers) will need to both: (1)ensure that the decisions they take andimplement do not adversely andunjustifiably affect the enjoyment of thehomes of local residents; and (2) takereasonable steps to protect occupiers fromadverse environmental circumstances.

Example: A local authority which is both a social landlord and a highways

authority adopts a new traffic schemediverting heavy traffic from an existingcongested route down a previously quiet and narrow residential street. A tenant of council housing living in thatstreet, who is adversely affected by theadditional noise, dust and vibration,may well suggest that in the absence of reasonable measures, such as traffic

screening or the installation of soundproof glazing, the local authority has interfered with his human right torespect for his home. 27

Example: A housing associationdecides to improve facilities for local young people by converting twoadjoining ground floor flats in a block

certain adaptations to social housing, inthe interests of disabled residents.

There is no human right to the provision of a home with particular aids or adaptationsany more than there is a right to theprovision of any home at all. However,once a person has a home then they areentitled to respect for it and to respect fortheir private lives in the enjoyment of it.The social housing provider may in somecircumstances become obliged to addressdifficulties that arise for particular

residents which prevent them fromenjoying their homes.

Example: A social housing provideragrees to supply and fit grab-rails withina tenants home on the recommendationof an occupational therapist (OT) thatsuch aids are essential. If the fitting has been delayed for nine months (forexample, five months waiting for an OT visit, one month waiting for the OT toproduce a report, and three months waiting for the fitting) that might wellamount to a failure to accord respect forthe tenants home.

Example: A disabled social housingtenant is increasingly unable to use thecommunal stairs. He asks for

permission to install a stairlift along thestaircase. In deciding the application,the housing provider should consider both the interests of other users of thecommunal stairway and the particulartenants human right to respect for hishome (which would include areasonable expectation to be able toreadily leave it and return to it). 26


22

26 This scenario will in due course be addressed by commencement of provisions insection 36(1)(d) of the Equality Act 2010 which is not presently in force.

27 See Andrews v Reading BC [2004] EWHC 970 (QB).


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of flats to provide a youth centre.Residents living in the flatsimmediately above the new centre

complain of increased noise, vibrationand other nuisances caused by the usersof the centre including large numbers of young people gathering in thestairwells, doorways and communalareas. This is likely to raise the questionof whether respect has been affordedto the homes of the sitting tenants.

Example: Following a period of very

severe weather, the paths and other walkways on a housing estate have beenmade impassable by the accumulationof snow or the freezing of ice. Many tenants, particularly the frail elderly,are unable to leave their homes. If asocial landlord responsible formaintaining these common partsfailed to take reasonable steps to grit orclear the paths that might infringe notonly the contractual obligations it hasto the tenants but possibly also the Article 8 rights of all its residents torespect for their homes.

Rent arrears and other breaches of tenancy conditions

Nothing in the HRA relieves an occupierof social housing of their contractualobligation to pay their rent (and any service charges) and to comply with otherobligations of their tenancy agreement,provided that they are compatible with theConvention Rights. Nor does the Actprevent or inhibit a social landlord fromtaking sensible and proportionatemeasures to encourage or enforcepayment or other compliance. (The

extreme situation in which eviction may be contemplated is dealt with below in thesubsection entitled Termination of tenancy and eviction.) Anti-social

behaviour is dealt with in the nextsubsection, entitled Anti-social behaviour.

Example: The policy of a socialhousing provider is that tenants withmore than four weeks arrears of rent will: (1) be removed from the providersrolling scheme for home improvements;and (2) be sued for the arrears with thedebt and court costs being recovered by deductions from wages or benefits.Nothing in such a policy or itsapplication, so long as it is applied in a

reasonable way, could amount to a breach of human rights. However,displaying a large notice outside thehouse proclaiming RENT DEFAULTER LIVES HERE might raise issues aboutinterference with the right to respect forprivacy (as an aspect of private life) orrespect for the home itself. Instead, asocial housing provider should takemore proportionate measures torecover the rent.

Example: In a bid to stem theescalation of arrears on a particularhousing estate, a social housingprovider gives the tenants associationon the estate the names and addressesof those owing rent. It asks theassociations committee members to

visit the defaulters to remind them of their responsibilities and to mentionthe threat of their inclusion on a nameand shame list in the estate newsletterif arrears are not cleared. The initialdisclosure to the association is likely torepresent an infringement of the rightto privacy protected by Article 8 and thepublication of the list would certainly amount to a breach of that right.Instead, a social housing providershould take more proportionatemeasures to recover the rent.



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Anti-social behaviour

Nothing in the HRA provides occupiers of social housing with an excuse for

deliberately engaging in behaviour which isa nuisance or annoyance to others. Sociallandlords and other agencies thatproportionately take measures to addressand control such behaviour will not beinfringing any human rights. As already indicated, nothing in the HRA relieves anoccupier of social housing of theircontractual obligations to comply with theconditions of their tenancy agreementprovided that they are compatible withConvention Rights.

In extreme cases, the action that a socialhousing provider takes can engage with the perpetrators human rights to respect forhis or her home or private and family life.But there will be no infringement of theHRA if the action taken is lawful (usually

sanctioned by a court order), is necessary and is proportionate, having regard to theinterests mentioned in Article 8 (forexample, the need to respect the health orrights and freedoms of others).

Example: Despite warnings, a residentof social housing will not desist fromcausing serious nuisance or annoyanceto others. The housing provider obtains

an injunction but it is seriously andrepeatedly breached. The provider thenapplies for and obtains an ordercommitting the resident to prison. 28

While in detention, he displays no

remorse but expressly says he will gethis neighbours on his release. Thelandlord seeks an outright possession

order which the court has a discretion whether or not to grant. Such a scenariosuggests that the landlord is acting within the law and taking necessary andproportionate action.

Example: A social housing providerdecides to adopt a hard-line one strikeand you are out policy to address anti-social behaviour. Even minor incidents

of anti-social behaviour areimmediately met by the issue of possession proceedings on a legal basis which gives the court no discretion butto make an outright order. The strictapplication of such a policy may wellresult in a human rights violation wherea disabled person engages in a form of anti-social behaviour which is amanifestation of his or her disability and where there are other moreproportionate means than eviction of dealing with the situation. 29 In suchsituations, a social housing providershould consider what moreproportionate measures it can take totackle the behaviour.

Example: A tenant has a mental health

impairment as a result of which sheengaged in anti-social behaviour andupset her neighbours by shouting andswearing at them in the street. It would be disproportionate to seek a possession


28 In Scotland, the social housing provider would seek to obtain an ASBO which, if breached, would then lead to criminal proceedings being initiated by the procuratorfiscal.

29 See Barber v Croydon LBC [2010] EWCA Civ 51. Note that this scenario would not arisein Scotland: the effect of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 is to transfer all tenants of social housing providers to the Scottish secure tenancy regime. There are no mandatory grounds for eviction under the 2001 Act.


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order immediately under the one strikeand youre out policy, in thesecircumstances. A more appropriate and

proportionate course of action would beto consult Social Services or MentalHealth Services for advice on how bestto support the tenant in managing this behaviour, perhaps accessing otherservices that could help reduce the risk of more incidents.

Example: Demand for its stock is suchthat a social housing provider has had to

allocate accommodation to young peoplein a development originally designed toaccommodate older tenants. Theestablished residents are already complaining that the first newcomer hada noisy (in their view) new home party on the night he moved in. They wantfirm and swift action taken, includingthe issue of a threat of eviction. If thesocial housing provider immediately issues a notice seeking possession insuch circumstances, without havingexplored what more proportionatemeasures it could have taken, that might well amount to a disproportionateinterference with the new tenants rightto respect for his home.

The response of social housing providers to

incidents of anti-social behaviour is morelikely to engage with the human rights of victims than with those of perpetrators. While there is no human right to expect asocial housing provider to keep a residentsafe and free from nuisance at all times, afailure to address or tackle the reportedexperience of anti-social behaviour may

well amount to a failure to respect theprivate or family life of a victim or aninfringement of his or her right to respect

for the home.30

Example: A resident complains to asocial housing provider that a group of its tenants are making her home lifemiserable by shouting at her fromoutside her home, throwing refuse intoher garden, sitting on her front wall andplaying loud music and using foullanguage well into the night. The

landlord knows who the perpetrators are but decides to take no action for fear of reprisals against its staff and given itspotential obligation for re-housing of theperpetrator family (which includes anumber of vulnerable individuals). Doingnothing in these circumstances is highly likely to amount to a breach of the victims right to respect for private life,family or home. 31

At the time this guidance was being written,the ECtHR was dealing with a complaintthat the UK had failed to respect the humanrights of a family who had been subjected toappalling and violent anti-social behaviourin their home. The complaint is that theirsocial housing provider (a local housing andsocial services authority) did not respond by

granting them an urgent emergency transfer when the risk of further harm becamecritical. 32 The outcome of this case willclarify the extent of a social housingproviders duty to protect victims of anti-social behaviour.

30 See Pemberton v Southwark LBC [2000] 2 All ER 924 at 935 (per Clarke LJ), CA.31 See Donnelly v Northern Ireland Housing Executive [2003] NICA 55.32 The complaint is brought by the unsuccessful claimants in X & Y v Hounslow LBC

[2009] EWCA Civ 286.


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26

end, without discussion with or theconsent of the other(s), is compatible withConvention Rights. 33 This rule can

sometimes mean that a family member isleft behind without any rights to occupy where a departing joint tenant has givennotice to quit. 34

Pending a decision on that issue, unless thesocial housing provider has improperly invited the giving of such a notice, it willhave no role in deciding whether theformer joint tenancy should be ended and will have to treat the tenancy as terminated when a valid notice to quit is served by oneof the joint tenants. However, in oneECtHR case, decided since the HRA waspassed, the UK was found to have actedunlawfully when a council suggested to adeparted joint tenant that she might servenotice to quit so that it could evict herformer husband who had remained in the

rented family home. 35

If the tenancy of the family home has beenproperly terminated, the social housingprovider will need to decide whether togrant the person left behind anothertenancy (of the same or a differentproperty) or whether to seek theireviction. The notion of respect for a home

in Article 8 will require the provider tocarefully consider whether it has a goodreason to seek eviction and whether it isproportionate to do so in thecircumstances.

Relationship breakdown

When there is a relationship breakdown between the occupiers of a rented home,

the social housing landlord may well become involved. If there is a real risk of death or injury to one or more of thoseconcerned, there may be a positiveobligation on the social housing provider totake such action as it reasonably can toprotect the adult or child victim from thethreat of death or serious injury. Thisrelates to the Article 2 right to life (see

Appendix 1) and the Article 3 right to befree from torture, inhuman and degradingtreatment (see Appendix 1).

Unless a contractual obligation or aprovision of housing legislation isapplicable, the social housing provider isunder no obligation to provide alternativeaccommodation for a departing resident ona relationship breakdown. As already noted, there is no human right to beprovided with a home nor with another oralternative home.

Often the future occupation of the rentedproperty will be regulated by the family courts on the application of one or more of the parties, and the social housing providerneed only note and comply with the courts

decision.

At the time of writing this guidance, theCourt of Appeal was waiting to consider whether the rule which allows one of the joint tenants to bring a joint tenancy to an

33 On appeal from Wilson v London Borough of Harrow [2010] EWHC 1574 (QB).34 This is not the position in Scotland. If one of the joint tenants of a Scottish secure

tenancy serves a notice terminating his interest in the tenancy, it simply continues inthe name of the remaining joint tenants.

35 McCann v UK [2008] BLGR 474, [2009] L&TR 4, [2008] ECHR 385, [2008] HLR 40,(2008) 47 EHRR 40, ECtHR.


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Example: A woman has voluntarily given notice to quit her family home and been re-housed with her children as a

result of serious domestic violenceperpetrated by her former partner. Hestill lives in the family-sized home, muchof which he is letting out to payinglodgers. There is a desperate need forfamily-sized accommodation in the area.In these circumstances, a claim forpossession is unlikely to bedisproportionate.

Example: A woman and her childrenhave been abandoned by her partner who has given a notice to quit, endingtheir joint tenancy. The social housingprovider would normally grant a new tenancy to a woman in thesecircumstances but she has some long-standing (although modest) arrears which are being cleared by directdeductions from her benefits. Theprovider is inclined not to grant a new tenancy until all the arrears are cleared which will take some years. In thesecircumstances, while a refusal to grant anew tenancy may have a legitimate aim,it is likely to be disproportionate and a breach of Article 8.

Death and succession

Following the death of a tenant, a socialhousing provider will commonly find thatother household members are left inoccupation and wish to remain in the home.For many forms of tenancy, the successionrights of those others will be set out inlegislation and will work automatically totransmit the tenancy from the deceased to asuccessor at the point of death.

If these laws about succession conflict with the HRA they will either be declared

incompatible by the courts or will beinterpreted by the courts in such a way asto avoid breaching human rights. If the

courts consider that is it not possible tointerpret these laws in a way which iscompatible with the Convention Rights anddeclares them incompatible, this will not affect landlords and tenantsimmediately. The law will remain in placeuntil Parliament changes it and willmeanwhile remain binding. If the law isinterpreted in a way which is compatible with the Convention Rights, social

housing providers will be bound by thatinterpretation of the law.

Example: As a result of the HumanRights Act, the House of Lords decidedto interpret a statutory succession rightfor a person living as if they were thehusband or wife of the deceased as onecapable of being satisfied by a memberof a same sex couple. 36

Social housing providers are able tosupplement any statutory succession rights by incorporating promises in tenancy agreements to grant new tenancies tohousehold members or carers left behindon the death of the tenant. When framingthese provisions care must obviously betaken not simply to avoid discriminationcontrary to other UK legislation but also toavoid infringing Convention Rights.

Example: A social housing providersstandard form tenancy agreementprovides that, on the death of thetenant, any family member left inoccupation can succeed to the tenancy but only if they are in full-timeemployment. The enforcement of this

provision in all circumstances may be a breach of the Article 8 right to respect

36 Ghaidan v Godin-Mendoza [2004] UKHL 305 [2004] 2 AC 557, HL.


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28

for the home and a breach of the Article14 (see Chapter 4) right to non-discrimination in the enjoyment of the

Article 8 right, unless a social housingprovider can show that it wasproportionate to apply the provision inindividual cases.

Where a person remains in occupation withno right to succeed the deceased tenant(whether by legislation or contract), thesocial housing provider may terminate thedeceased tenants tenancy and seek

possession. If the accommodation has become the occupiers home, the claim forpossession will potentially be aninterference with the right to respect fora home protected by Article 8 (seeChapter 4).

At the time this guidance was being written, the Court of Appeal in England

was waiting to hear several appeals broughtin possession cases by non-successorscomplaining that to oust them from theirhomes would infringe Article 8. 37

The surest course for the social housingprovider in such circumstances is toconsider carefully whether possession is being sought for a good reason (as it islikely to be if the resident is under-occupying and there is a high demand forproperties of that size) and, if it is, tothoroughly examine whether it is

proportionate to evict the occupierhaving regard to, among other matters,the housing needs of other social housing

applicants and the personal circumstancesof the occupier.

Example: A social housing providerlet a family home 50 years ago to ahusband and father. On his death, the wife and mother succeeded to thetenancy. She has recently died.Remaining in occupation (with no rightto succeed) are their now adult son and

daughter who have each lived in theproperty for more than 40 years. Theproperty has one extra bedroom (thelate parents bedroom). The son isseverely disabled and is cared for by hissister. They want to remain in thehome and use the spare bedroom forrespite carers when the sister takes a break. In these circumstances aneviction of the son and daughter isunlikely to be proportionate.

Example: An elderly man has died.Until last year, he lived alone in thefour-bedroom house but some monthsago his son moved back to live withhim after his own marriage brokedown. The son is in well paid full-timeemployment and has significant

capital. He wants to become the tenant.In these circumstances, an eviction of the son is likely to be proportionate. 38

37 For example, the appeal from R (on the application of Coombes) v Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government [2010] EWHC 666 (Admin), [2010] 2 All ER 940, [2010] BLGR 514, QB.

38 Neither of these scenarios would be applicable in Scotland: in both cases the son and/or

daughter would have the right to succeed to the Scottish secure tenancy under therelevant succession rules contained in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001. However, there will be cases in which, under the Scottish legislation, occupiers are not entitled tosucceed following the death of the tenant. In that case, the issues discussed in theseexamples will have to be considered.


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Buying the home

The tenants of some social housingproviders will have the legal right to buy

their homes. Those rights will becontained in tenancy agreements or inhousing legislation. Some tenants willeven already be in the process of buyingtheir homes under low-cost home-ownership schemes.

The HRA does not supply any right to anoccupier to buy their home. 39 If a tenant

does not have the right to buy that willnormally be the result of governmentpolicy reflected in housing legislation.

Even where a landlord has a discretionary sales scheme, those outside the terms of the scheme cannot usually rely on theHRA to complain that they should have been included unless the exclusionamounts to unlawful discrimination. 40

Specialist housing accommodationand specialist housing services

Most social housing providers supply general needs housing accommodation.But others specialise in the provision of accommodation to meet housing needs forthose who are disabled, elderly or haveother particular needs for non-conventional housing. Some sociallandlords provide conventional housing but supply specialist services to theoccupiers of that accommodation to meettheir particular needs, for example theprovision of resident warden services.

If what has been provided to an occupier isa home, they will have the usual right to

respect for their home (under Article 8 see Chapter 4) as well as the right torespect for their private and family lives.

Unsurprisingly, the need for theprotection of human rights becomes more,not less, important where individuals haveparticular needs or are unable toeffectively self-advocate.

Social housing providers supplyingspecialist housing accommodation and/orspecialist services will accordingly need toconsider particularly carefully the impact

on the human rights of the occupiers of any actions they take. That will beparticularly necessary when considerationis being given to the reconfiguration of services or the withdrawal of specialistschemes or services.

Example: A social housing providerdecides that in order to give it optimumoperational flexibility in managing aspecialist housing scheme it will invitecurrent residents to: (1) enter intolicences rather than tenancies; (2)agree to a provision that they can berequired to change rooms on demand;(3) acknowledge that the provision of residential support workers can be withdrawn at any time. This change interms of occupancy is likely to amountto a disproportionate interference withthe residents human rights to respectfor their homes.

Example: A specialist provider makesaccommodation available to residents who lack the mental capacity to enterinto contractual tenancy terms andconditions. If it decided not to make

39 Strunjak v Croatia Application No 46934/99, ECtHR.40 Delaney v Belfast Improved Housing Association [2007] NIQB 55, (2008) Legal

Action November p18.


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is an express or implied provision in every lease that it may end by forfeiture and that will have been a feature of the possession

when the occupier acquired it.42

(In any event, forfeiture of residential premises isnowadays regulated by the courts.) Of course, a subsequent claim for possessionmay well give rise to human rightsconsiderations (see the section entitledTermination of tenancy and eviction).

Change of landlord

It is a feature of modern life that a sittingtenant in social housing may find that theidentity of their landlord is changing. Thatmay be a change:

from one council to another (as hashappened with the recent creation of new unitary authorities)

from a council to a different sociallandlord (often known as stock

transfer)from one social landlord to another(perhaps within the same group of housing associations), or

from a social landlord to a privatelandlord.

There is no human right to keep the samelandlord or the same form of landlord.

There is no human right to always enjoy the same (or an improved) degree of security of tenure. But whoever the socialhousing provider is whether the currentlandlord or the proposed new landlord 43 it must maintain the respect for anoccupiers home as protected by Article 8.

tenancies available to such occupiers atall it might be in breach of theirConvention Rights. It should instead

seek to ensure that the residents havethe equivalent legal protection that would have been available had they enjoyed capacity, for example by granting tenancies to others to hold ontrust for the residents.

Example: In its tenants handbook, but not in its contractual terms of tenancy, a social housing providerstates that it will provide a resident warden service to residents on aparticular housing scheme. It laterdecides that the resident wardenarrangement is too costly and should be replaced by an on-demand visitingservice. In deciding whether to makethis change, a social housing provider would have to consider how this would

affect residents rights under Article 8.

Long leaseholders 41

Like any other tenancy, a long lease will bethe leaseholders property or possessionprotected by Article 1 Protocol 1 (see Appendix 1). If they live in the property subject of the lease, the tenant will alsohave a right to respect for their home

under Article 8 (see Chapter 4). Any interference by the social landlord withthese rights will need to satisfy the termsof the relevant Article.

The fact that a lease may be forfeit for breach of its terms does not represent aninterference with human rights because it

41 Note that this form of tenure does not exist in Scotland.42 Di Palma v United Kingdom (1988) 10 EHRR 149.43 There would be no human rights obligations on the new landlord if it were a private

landlord.


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Example: In the course of aconsultation exercise, tenants are toldthat if they vote in favour of a transfer

to a new social landlord they willretain (or obtain) particular rights or benefits. The new landlord promisesthe old landlord that it will honour thispledge. Some years after the transfer,the new landlord finds thatcircumstances are less favourable andthat it would be inconvenient tohonour the previous commitments.The transferred tenants have no legalor contractual right to enforce thepromises made pre-transfer but might well assert that a failure to providethem with what they were led to expectinvolves an interference with theirright to respect for their homes. Thesocial housing provider wouldtherefore have to show that theinterference was proportionate.

Termination of tenancy andeviction

Article 8 requires that an occupier is givenrespect for his or her home. Eviction isthe highest form of interference with thatright. The threat of eviction is not muchshort of it.

To avoid an eviction which is unlawfulunder the HRA, where a social housingprovider which is subject to the Act isseeking to terminate a tenancy (or otherform of occupation) and thereafter evictthe occupier, it should be able to show that it is acting in accordance with thelaw, that its actions are in pursuit of a

legitimate aim, and that they are bothnecessary and proportionate.

For most forms of social housingtenancy, the landlord can only end thetenancy by obtaining a possession order.That system ensures that a court isinvolved, that a ground for seekingpossession is made out and (commonly)that it is reasonable to evict the occupier.

There are some circumstances in which asocial housing provider may seek possession from the courts and the courtmay appear to have no alternative but togrant possession. This can arise in any case where there is:

a claim for possession brought on amandatory ground and theconditions for use of that ground aresatisfied

an assured shorthold tenancy an introductory tenancy

a starter tenancy

a demoted tenancy

a family intervention tenancy

an unprotected tenancy

no tenancy at all

a previous tenancy which has beenterminated by the occupier, or

a licence which has been terminated. 44

However, the UK Supreme Court hasrecently decided that in all these sorts of cases when examining a possession claim where the point is raised, the local courts

44 The first seven points on this list are not applicable to Scotland. They may be replaced by (a) short Scottish secure tenancies and (b) tenancies at common law, which have nosecurity of tenure.



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a court can swiftly decide whether there isany substance to the occupiers complaintof a likely infringement of their human

rights. Therefore, it would be goodpractice for providers to consider beforeeven starting the process of seeking apossession order whether the eviction would be a justified interference with atenants rights.

In some cases, the court hearing thepossession claim may find that an evictionorder is justified but that immediate lossof the home would not be justified. Inthose cases the court can use its powers todelay or defer eviction for such time as it believes necessary to avoid aninfringement of the Convention Rights. 46

Social housing providers in Scotland

The preceding material is applicable tosocial housing providers in Scotland,subject to certain points indicated in thefootnotes. Social housing providersoperating in Scotland should be aware of two additional issues.

Firstly: some tenants in Scotland have aform of tenancy called the short Scottishsecure tenancy. This gives tenants limitedrights, and no security of tenure.

Following recent decisions by the SupremeCourt, 47 an issue has arisen as to whetherthe statutory scheme for the eviction of short Scottish secure tenants is compatible with the Convention Rights. This raises

will have a responsibility to consider whether the interference with the right torespect for the home (that eviction would

involve) is justified.45

Such justificationinvolves the court being satisfied that thethree requirements of Article 8 are met:

that the possession claim is made inaccordance with the law (that is, thatall necessary procedural requirementshave been met and the decision to seek possession has been lawfully taken)

that eviction is in pursuit of a legitimate

aim (for example, to protect the rightsand freedoms of others to enjoy theirhomes without interference), and

that eviction is a necessary andproportionate response to what theoccupier has done or failed to do.

The second and third of these factorsessentially produce a balancing exercise between the human rights of the particulartenant or occupier and the rights of others.Cases at the extremes are easy to identify and determine. A tenant is highly unlikely to be lawfully evicted for a minortransgression of the tenancy but is highly likely to be lawfully evicted if engaged in acampaign of serious and violent anti-social behaviour. (Please see the section abovefor more information about anti-social

behaviour.)

It would be advisable for the provider to be ready to establish its ability to meet thethree conditions mentioned above so that

45 Manchester City Council v Pinnock [2010] UKSC 45, SC and Hounslow LBC v Powell [2011] UKSC 8, SC.

46 Subject to the constraints of housing legislation (e.g. in the case of a tenant with nosecurity of tenure, the possession order cannot delay possession for more than 6 weeksin England or Wales: Housing Act 1980 s.89).

47 Manchester City Council v Pinnock [2010] UKSC 45, SC, and Hounslow LBC v Powell [2011] UKSC 8, SC.


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what is known as a devolution issue: because the Scottish Parliament is notpermitted to make laws which are

incompatible with Convention Rights, it isprobable that some short Scottish securetenants who are subject to evictionproceedings will now argue that thestatutory provisions which allow them to be evicted are invalid and should not apply to them.

That issue could be resolved in various ways. The Courts may decide that thestatutory provisions can be interpreted ina way that is compatible with theConvention Rights. If they are interpretedin a way which is compatible withConvention Rights, social housingproviders will be bound by thatinterpretation. Alternatively, the Courtsmay decide that the legislation isincompatible with Convention Rights. If

the Courts decide that the legislation isincompatible with Convention Rights it will be treated as having no effect. Alternatively, the Scottish Governmentcould decide to amend the law before theCourts make any decision on whether ornot it is compatible with ConventionRights. In the meantime, the surest coursefor the social housing provider seeking to

evict a short Scottish secure tenant is toconsider carefully whether the eviction ispursued for a good reason, and, if it is, tothoroughly examine whether it isproportionate to evict the tenant.

In any event, it will remain possible toseek the eviction of a short Scottish securetenant under the statutory provisionsapplicable to all Scottish secure tenants,

on the usual grounds such as rent arrearsor anti-social behaviour.

Secondly: it will be necessary for socialhousing providers in Scotland to bear inmind the relevant Convention Rights inconsidering applications by tenants toassign or sublet Scottish secure tenancies. Assignation requests will be made wherethe prospective assignee has been living atthe rented property for at least sixmonths, 48 and presumably intends to stay there. The property may therefore be theassignees home for the purposes of Article 8. That may also be the position inrespect of an application to sublet.

Applications to assign and sublet areusually made where the tenant intends toleave the property (or has already left) andthe proposed assignee/subtenant ismoving in. In the event that the

application is refused, this often results inthe tenancy ending, and the proposedassignee or subtenant losing his home, because he has no right or title to remainthere. In such cases, the proposed assigneeor subtenant has a right to respect for hishome, and the landlord will have toconsider whether the rejection of theapplication to assign or sublet is a

necessary and proportionate means of meeting its legitimate aim of managing itshousing stock in the interests of all tenantsand prospective tenants. That requiresparticularly careful consideration wherethe proposed assignee or subtenant is vulnerable as a result of mental illness,physical or learning disability, poor healthor frailty, or for any other reason.

48 Under section 32(1)(b) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001.


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1. Does what I propose to do/my policy engage a human rightprotected by the Human Rights Act?

If yes , go to question 2 .If no , the decision or policy is likely to comply with the Human Rights Act. However, you should keep the decision or the operation of the policy under review to check ithas the effect you had expected.

Some questions which might help you decide whether your decision or policy is likely to engage a Convention Right are:

Article 2: Could it lead to a loss of life, or hamper your ability to respond to a threatto life?

Article 3: Could it result in physical or mental harm, gross humiliation or indignity for a person? Could it leave a person in inhuman or degrading conditions? Could ithamper your ability to respond to this treatment by a third person or to investigateallegations of such treatment?

Article 5: Could it result in a restriction on a persons liberty?

Article 6: Does it involve a decision which might determine a persons civil rights,such as rights under a contract?

Article 8: Could it undermine a persons enjoyment of his or her home? Could it

interfere with a persons privacy? Could it lead to sharing of a persons personalinformation? Could it interfere with a persons right to spend time with family members and enjoy family life? Could it damage a persons reputation? Could itdamage a persons dignity, or physical or mental autonomy? Could it interfere witha persons correspondence? Could it stop you protecting a persons home againstexternal interference, such as anti-social behaviour or environmental problems?

Article 9: Could it restrict a persons ability to practise or live according to his orher religion or beliefs?

Article 10: Could it restrict a persons expression of ideas, opinions, a persons

artistic expression, or a persons access to information? Article 11: Could it restrict a persons ability to associate with others, to join andleave organisations, or to demonstrate?

Article 14: Could it have a negative impact on some people or groups in relation toan area protected by a Convention Right? Could it distinguish between people onthe basis of a personal characteristic, such as gender, disability, or homeless status,in relation to an area protected by a Convention Right?

Article 1 of Protocol 1: Could it result in someone losing their property, or restrictthe way in which they enjoy or use it?

In order to answer these questions, you could consult people about the likely effect of the decision or policy, and look at data which gives you information about the likely affect of your decision and policy.



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7. Does what I propose to do limit the right in the way setout in the Article containing the right?

If yes , the decision or policy is likely to comply with the Human Rights Act.However, you should check that your decision or policy does not have a negativeimpact on particular people or groups. You should also keep the decision or theoperation of the policy under review to check it has the effect you had expected.

If no , the policy or decision is unlikely to comply with the Human Rights Act.Limited rights can only be restricted in the ways set out in the particular Article which protects the right. You should consider how you could do thingsdifferently in order to comply with the Human Rights Act.

8. What is the purpose behind what you are trying to doand is that purpose one of the permitted objectives? For

Articles 8, 9 and 10, the permitted objectives are set outin the Article which protects the right. For Articles 14and Article 1 of Protocol 1, the permitted objectives arenot set out in the Articles, but you must have a

legitimate aim.If yes , go to question 9 .

If no , the policy or decision is unlikely to comply with the Human Rights Act. You can only restrict a qualified right for the purposes enumerated in the Article which protects the right in question. You should consider how you could dothings differently in order to comply with the Human Rights Act.

9. Does the law allow you to do what you intend to do?

If yes , go to question 10 .

If no , the policy or decision is unlikely to comply with the Human Rights Act. Inorder to restrict a qualified right, you must be acting in accordance with the law. You should consider how you could do things differently in order to comply withthe Human Rights Act.


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10.Is what you intend to do a proportionate way of achieving your objective?

If yes , the decision or policy is likely to comply with the Human Rights Act.However, you should check that your decision or policy does not have a negativeimpact on particular people or groups. You should also keep the decision or theoperation of the policy under review to check it has the effect you had expected.

If no , the policy or decision is unlikely to comply with the Human Rights Act. You can only restrict a qualified right in a way which is proportionate to the aimpursued. You should consider how you could do things differently in order tocomply with the Human Rights Act.

The following considerations will help you consider whether what you intend todo is proportionate:

Will your decision/policy help you achieve your objective?

Are there other ways of achieving your objective which would be less harmfulto a persons rights?

Is the interference with the right kept to a minimum?

What will be left of the persons right if you go ahead with the decision orpolicy? Would it make the right meaningless?

Generally, complaints about human rightsare less likely to be made against socialhousing providers where providers haveacted fairly, transparently andproportionately in their dealings withparticular individuals.

Records of decisions made

When complaints are pressed, providers will be better able to deal with them if decision-making about the matterscomplained of has been supported by clearrecord-keeping and a clear audit trail of what was considered, when and by whom.Matters which might otherwise end up as

claims of human rights infringements,

made to the courts or regulators, can often be avoided if service recipients areprovided with clear written explanationsof why relevant decisions have been taken,and given opportunities to makerepresentations and in-house rights of

review and/or appeal.

Training on the Human Rights Act

It is in a social housing providers bestinterests to ensure that all its housing andmanagement staff have initial training onthe relationship between human rightsand social housing (with ready access to acopy of this guidance), and that such

training is refreshed at regular intervals.


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7. Is my organisationsubject to other rules which affect publicauthorities?

The fact that your organisation is subject to the HRA because it carries out public functions does not meanthat it is a public authority for all other purposes.Each law which regulates public authorities will haveits own test for deciding which organisations arepublic authorities for the purposes of that law.

For example:The rules regulating publicprocurement apply to contractingauthorities. Contracting authorities arenot defined by reference to whether ornot they carry out public functionsunder the HRA.

The rules determining which bodiesand acts are subject to judicial review are different from the rules whichdecide which bodies and acts aresubject to the HRA. Many bodies whichare subject to the HRA will be judicially reviewable on grounds other thanhuman rights, but this is notautomatically the case.

The fact that your organisation iscarrying out public functions for thepurposes of the HRA does notautomatically bring it within the publicsector borrowing regime.

The obligations under the Freedom of Information Act and Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act ap

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Human Rights at Home - Guidance for Social Housing Providers March 2011 by Equalities & Human Rights...

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