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Section 5: Category 1 hazards: general duty to take enforcement action

Housing Act 2004 · 2004 c. 34View on legislation.gov.uk

Part 1: Housing conditions — Chapter 1: Enforcement of housing standards: general

If a local housing authority consider that a category 1 hazard exists on any residential premises, they must take the appropriate enforcement action in relation to the hazard.

In subsection (1) "the appropriate enforcement action" means whichever of the following courses of action is indicated by subsection (3) or (4)—

serving an improvement notice under section 11;
making a prohibition order under section 20;
serving a hazard awareness notice under section 28;
taking emergency remedial action under section 40;
making an emergency prohibition order under section 43;
making a demolition order under subsection (1) or (2) of section 265 of the Housing Act 1985 (c. 68);
declaring the area in which the premises concerned are situated to be a clearance area by virtue of section 289(2) of that Act.

If only one course of action within subsection (2) is available to the authority in relation to the hazard, they must take that course of action.

If two or more courses of action within subsection (2) are available to the authority in relation to the hazard, they must take the course of action which they consider to be the most appropriate of those available to them.

The taking by the authority of a course of action within subsection (2) does not prevent subsection (1) from requiring them to take in relation to the same hazard—

either the same course of action again or another such course of action, if they consider that the action taken by them so far has not proved satisfactory, or
another such course of action, where the first course of action is that mentioned in subsection (2)(g) and their eventual decision under section 289(2F) of the Housing Act 1985 means that the premises concerned are not to be included in a clearance area.

To determine whether a course of action mentioned in any of paragraphs (a) to (g) of subsection (2) is "available" to the authority in relation to the hazard, see the provision mentioned in that paragraph.

Section 6 applies for the purposes of this section.

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This legislation text comes from legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. These source and reuse terms cover the legislation text, not Remedy's commentary.

Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.