Government
Chapter 20 Housing
  1. For the Purpose of the General Orders in this Chapter:
    1. "Government Housing" accommodation or "Housing" or accommodation includes every private dwelling and apartment owned, or; leased by The Government for the purpose of providing living accommodation for public officers and their families, but does not include Government House or any other accommodation provided for the use of The Governor General.
    2. "Public Utility" includes Water, Sewerage, Electricity and Telephone Services.
  2.  The statutory provisions governing the housing of public officers who are not entitled to free quarters are contained in The Public Service (Housing Accommodation) Regulations.
    1964. The Regulations provide that any public officer occupying Government housing accommodation shall pay to the Treasury:
    (1) an annual charge, based on the economic rental of the accommodation, but not exceeding the maximum charges given at Appendix J;
    (2) a charge corresponding to the total cost borne by the Treasury for provision of Public Utilities supplied to the accommodation.
  3.  The provisions stated at General Order 2001 (2) will not apply to an officer who assumes personal responsibility for the payment of charges for public utilities supplied to any accommodation and for which the Treasury is not liable.
  4. Any charge payable by an officer under General Order 2001 may be recovered monthly by the Treasury by deduction from the officer's salary.
  5. The officer in charge of housing is an officer in the Ministry of Works, who is responsible for the maintenance of the accommodation and has the custody of the keys thereof.
  6.  If an officer's duties necessitate his being available at any hour of the day or night, he may be required to live in specific Government accommodation in the vicinity of his place of work.
  7. Where furniture and equipment is provided it will be in keeping with the official status of the officer concerned.
  8. An officer allocated Government accommodation is responsible for taking reasonable care of all articles of Government furniture and fixtures included therein, for the cleanliness of the accommodation including the domestic servants' quarter's, and for the proper maintenance of the garden and precincts.
  9. An officer allocated Government accommodation is prohibited from altering the structure, or; fixtures. If any alteration is desired, application must be made to the officer responsible for maintenance who will arrange for the alterations if they are approved.
  10. Government furniture in Government accommodation, belongs to the accommodation to which it has been issued, and no articles of furniture, or; equipment may be interchanged between housing accommodations, or; between accommodation and offices, without the prior sanction of the officer responsible for the maintenance of the accommodation.
  11. No charge is made for electric fittings, etcetera, in a house when handed over to an occupant, but any extra fittings, etcetera, must be paid for by the occupant unless it can be shown to the satisfaction of the Ministry of Works that the extra fittings are necessary. Except where shades are part of the actual fixture they will not be supplied free of charge to occupiers of Government accommodation. Tenants are responsible for the replacement of electric light globes, the first supply only being charged to Government.
  12. An inventory of the furniture and equipment will be made by the Ministry of Works at least once in each year.
  13. All defects in Government accommodation must be promptly reported by the occupier to the Ministry of Works, and all necessary repairs will be undertaken by that Ministry. Defects in the water services must be reported immediately by telephone to that Ministry and any defect in the electric installations must be reported at once to the office of the electricity service.
  14. Government housing is intended for the accommodation of officers, their wives, children and dependent relatives only. No part of any Government accommodation may be regularly occupied by other relations, or; friends without the permission of The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry in which the officer is employed.
  15. Where voluntarily two or more officers share the accommodation allotted to one, rent will be recovered at the prescribed rate on the salary of the highest paid officer among them. If an officer to whom free accommodation is allotted shares with one or more officers who are not entitled to free accommodation the rent payable by the latter officer, or officers will be determined by The Permanent Secretary of The Public Service.
  16. The Government may terminate the tenancy of a house, or; apartment at any time by giving one month's notice to the occupant. An officer occupying Government housing cannot, except with the approval of The Permanent Secretary of his Ministry, terminate his tenancy, unless he can make an arrangement for the accommodation to be taken over by another officer. Normally, rent continues to be payable during periods when the officer may not be in actual occupation, for example, while he is on leave, and rent only ceases to be payable when the officer finally surrenders occupation and the accommodation can be allocated permanently to another officer.
  17. If accommodation allotted to a particular officer is for any reason left unoccupied by the officer ordinarily entitled to occupy it, it may, with the approval of The Permanent Secretary of the officer's Ministry, be occupied temporarily by another officer: provided that an officer on leave, or; on duty, or; on a course of instruction outside The Bahamas for a period not exceeding four months may retain his accommodation if he is returning to the same post.
  18. If Government housing accommodation is not required by any officer it may be rented to any suitable applicant.
  19. Government accommodation must be taken over from and handed over to the officer in charge of accommodation. An incoming occupant of furnished, or; partly furnished accommodation must acknowledge receipt of the accommodation and all articles of Government furniture and equipment therein by signing the inventory; and an outgoing occupant must hand over the keys to the accommodation he is vacating to the officer in charge of accommodation and remain responsible for the accommodation and all articles of Government furniture and equipment therein until he obtains the signature of the officer in charge of accommodation to the inventory in acknowledgement of its surrender. An officer provided with Government accommodation must give at least a week's notice to the officer in charge of accommodation that he wishes it to be taken over.
  20. Unless an officer, at the time he takes over Government accommodation, identifies himself by reporting any deficiency, or; damage to the officer in charge of accommodation, it will be assumed that he received the accommodation and all articles of furniture and equipment belonging thereto in good condition and, he will be liable for the cost of making good any deficiency, damage, or; neglect discovered during his occupancy, or; at any time he hands over the accommodation.
  21. Rent is payable from the date on which an officer takes over Government accommodation to the date immediately preceding that on which he hands it over, both dates inclusive. An officer will be assumed to have taken over Government accommodation not later than three working days from the date of the allocation notice, or; from the date on which the housing is declared available for occupation by the officer in charge of accommodation, whichever is appropriate. At the time of taking or handing over accommodation, a form recording the particulars will be prepared by the officer in charge of accommodation and will be countersigned by the incoming, or; outgoing occupant. The Ministry or Department is responsible for notifying to the Treasury the rent and the date upon which the deductions should start.
  22. If an officer who is entitled to Government housing cannot allocate such accommodation, The Government will accommodate the officer and his family in an hotel, and pay to him a subsistence allowance at the rates which are appropriate under Appendix F.
  23. Once accommodation is allocated to an officer drawing subsistence allowance, he will cease to be eligible for the allowance when three working days have elapsed after the accommodation becomes available.
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