If a local authority refuses to pay a landlord direct after a request by the landlord (perhaps because the tenant is eight weeks or more in arrears), the landlord becomes a “person affected” by any decision whether to pay direct or not.

A person affected may make an appeal but a landlord must act quickly because there is only 1 month to appeal.

Step 1

Ask for a written statement of reasons

A statement of reasons is at it sounds, it is an explanation of how the decision by the local authority was reached. The advantage of asking for a statement of reasons is that it puts the appeal time limit on hold until the reasons are sent. A written statement of reasons must be requested within one month of the decision. For example:

Landlord receives notification of decision not to pay direct on 1 August. This would mean an appeal must be made by 1 September. However, if a statement of reasons is requested on 10 August and then received on 20 August, the appeal may be made on or before

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