arrangements for housing association tenancies. They followed suit sometime later. However, increases in rent for first registrations of old decontrolled tenancies still remained subject to phasing. De-regulation 1989 Freedom of contract From 15 January 1989 two systems were intended to operate side by side: one under the Rent Act 1977 and the other under the Housing Act 1988 depending upon whether the tenancy commenced before or after that date. Assured tenancies For all new tenancies, with a few exceptions, this new Act introduced: assured periodic tenancies and provisions for the determination of their rents by rent assessment committees; assured shorthold tenancies and provisions for the reference of excessive rents to rent assessment committees; and assured agricultural occupancies Stronger penalties It strengthened the penalties for harassment and unlawful eviction by a system of damages by making amendments to the Protection from Eviction Act 1977. In an obscure comer (Schedule I7 "Minor and consequential amendments") it removed the final remaining provision for the phasing of increases of rent - for housing association tenants. Succession and other changes The right to succession of statutory tenants was restricted, provision was made for the transfer of public sector tenancies to certain private sector landlords, Housing for Wales was established having functions relating to housing associations. The Act set up housing action trusts, made amendments to the right to buy, and provisions as to repair notices. In Schedule 2 Part I there were mandatory grounds in which a court must order possession of an assured tenancy and other grounds in Part II in which a court may order possession. The Ground 8 of Part I dealt with the amount of arrears at the date of the court hearing. The amounts were reduced in the Housing Act 1996. Housing benefit subsidy 1988 But besides introducing changes that, in the long term, affected the future of the Rent Officer's role, the Housing Act 1988 created important new additional functions relating to the assessment of housing benefit subsidy. Previously, housing benefit had been administered by local authorities. There was strong evidence nationally of substantial fraudulent collusion between landlords and tenants when their tenants were claiming housing benefit . The resulting higher rents were also having an effect to increase open market rent levels for those not claiming housing benefit. Many millions of pounds of benefit subsidy were saved in the first year alone of Rent Officer intervention. Although Rent