An officer of a local housing authority who has entered premises under section 118(1) or under a warrant under section 120 may seize and detain documents which the officer reasonably suspects may be required as evidence in proceedings relating to a breach of, or an offence under, the rented accommodation legislation.
If one or more occupiers are on the premises, an officer seizing documents under this section must provide to that occupier or (if there is more than one) to at least one of them evidence of the officer's identity and authority, before seizing the documents.
The officer need not comply with subsection (2) if it is not reasonably practicable to do so.
An officer seizing documents under this section must take reasonable steps to—
In determining the steps to be taken under subsection (4), an officer exercising a power under this section must have regard to any relevant provision about the seizure of property made by a code of practice under section 66 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.
This section does not confer any power on an officer to seize from a person any document which the person would be entitled to refuse to produce in proceedings in the High Court on the grounds of legal professional privilege.
For the purpose of exercising the power under this section, the officer may, to the extent that is reasonably necessary for that purpose—
Documents seized under this section may not be detained—