Minimum period for applications to remain in force - suspensions under section 20B of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987: statutory guidance

4. New Powers in The 2014 Act

4.1 Section 6 of the 2014 Act amends the 1987 Act to introduce a new section 20B. It creates an exception to section 20(2)(b) of the 1987 Act and gives social landlords the power to impose a suspension in certain circumstances where section 20(2)(b) would previously have prevented them from doing so. The legislation now allows landlords to suspend an application for a period of time from the date of the application in any of the specified circumstances.

4.2 The new power in section 20B is discretionary. A social landlord can choose whether or not to use it. A social landlord’s approach to suspensions, including the option of imposing a suspension under section 20B, should be clearly set out in the landlord’s suspensions policy.