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Consultation Paper on the General Law of the Landlord and Tenant

Consultation Paper on the General Law of the Landlord and Tenant

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comprehensive <strong>and</strong> exhaustive, in <strong>the</strong> sense that such a tenancy could,in future, <strong>on</strong>ly be terminated in accordance with <strong>the</strong> Act’sprocedures, 11 whatever <strong>the</strong> reas<strong>on</strong> for <strong>the</strong> terminati<strong>on</strong>. 12 Theseprovisi<strong>on</strong>s govern <strong>the</strong> requirements for a valid notice <strong>of</strong> terminati<strong>on</strong>, 13<strong>the</strong> period <strong>of</strong> notice to be given 14 <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> positi<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> sub-tenants whena head-tenancy is terminated. 15 It would clearly be inappropriate for<strong>the</strong> Commissi<strong>on</strong> to comment at this stage <strong>on</strong> such proposed newlegislati<strong>on</strong> promoted by <strong>the</strong> Government. The issue for this<str<strong>on</strong>g>C<strong>on</strong>sultati<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Paper</str<strong>on</strong>g> is whe<strong>the</strong>r legislati<strong>on</strong> should be proposed fortenancies not falling into <strong>the</strong> agricultural or residential categories,namely business tenancies or mixed use tenancies.C Business <strong>and</strong> Mixed Use Tenancies13.05 Business <strong>and</strong> mixed use tenancies remain governed largelyby <strong>the</strong> comm<strong>on</strong> law which has been developed over <strong>the</strong> centuries.This is characterised by numerous points <strong>of</strong> doubt <strong>and</strong> areas <strong>of</strong>uncertainty. 16 In some instances <strong>the</strong>se c<strong>on</strong>cern <strong>the</strong> actual rule orrequirement, for example, in relati<strong>on</strong> to <strong>the</strong> period <strong>of</strong> notice whe<strong>the</strong>r itshould expire <strong>on</strong> a particular date, such as <strong>the</strong> anniversary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>commencement <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> tenancy, or at <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> a period or <strong>on</strong> a galeday. 17 In o<strong>the</strong>r instances <strong>the</strong> practiti<strong>on</strong>er is in great difficulty inapplying <strong>the</strong> rules because it is not clear what type <strong>of</strong> periodic tenancyexists (weekly, m<strong>on</strong>thly, yearly or whatever) or when vital eventsoccurred (such as <strong>the</strong> date <strong>of</strong> commencement <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> tenancy). Thec<strong>on</strong>stant risk faced by <strong>the</strong> practiti<strong>on</strong>er, <strong>and</strong>, <strong>the</strong>refore, <strong>the</strong> client <strong>on</strong>whose behalf <strong>the</strong> notice is served, is that <strong>the</strong> purported notice to quit11121314151617Secti<strong>on</strong> 57.Thus in <strong>the</strong> case <strong>of</strong> a breach <strong>of</strong> obligati<strong>on</strong> by <strong>the</strong> tenant <strong>the</strong> l<strong>and</strong>lord wouldno l<strong>on</strong>ger be able to invoke a re-entry clause in order to effect a forfeiture:see Chapter 14 below.Part 5 Chapter 2.Chapter 3.Chapter 4 <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> Schedule. Secti<strong>on</strong>s 72 <strong>and</strong> 73 deal with terminati<strong>on</strong> in<strong>the</strong> case <strong>of</strong> a property occupied by multiple tenants.See Wylie op cit paragraph 23.07.Ibid paragraphs 23.11, 23.13 <strong>and</strong> 23.14.159

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