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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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4.19 Taking into account <strong>the</strong> points <strong>of</strong> clarificati<strong>on</strong> menti<strong>on</strong>ed in<strong>the</strong> previous paragraphs <strong>the</strong> Commissi<strong>on</strong> inclines to <strong>the</strong> view that <strong>the</strong>law <strong>of</strong> tenant’s fixtures should be radically overhauled. TheCommissi<strong>on</strong> provisi<strong>on</strong>ally recommends that <strong>the</strong> law relating totenant’s fixtures should be replaced by a new statutory provisi<strong>on</strong>which entirely displaces <strong>the</strong> comm<strong>on</strong> law <strong>and</strong> all existing statutoryprovisi<strong>on</strong>s. The fundamental principle <strong>of</strong> this should be that <strong>the</strong>ownership <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r rights attaching to any items <strong>of</strong> propertyinstalled in <strong>the</strong> premises should be as set out in <strong>the</strong> lease. Thestatutory provisi<strong>on</strong> should <strong>the</strong>n provide a set <strong>of</strong> “default” provisi<strong>on</strong>sto operate in <strong>the</strong> absence <strong>of</strong> such express provisi<strong>on</strong>s. The essence <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> default provisi<strong>on</strong>s should be:-(i) <strong>the</strong>y should apply to any property installed in <strong>the</strong> premisesby <strong>the</strong> tenant, for whatever reas<strong>on</strong>;(ii) <strong>the</strong> right <strong>of</strong> removal should be exercisable in all cases,subject to <strong>the</strong> l<strong>and</strong>lord’s right to compensati<strong>on</strong> for anydamage, however substantial, caused to <strong>the</strong> demisedpremises by <strong>the</strong> removal;(iii) <strong>the</strong> right <strong>of</strong> removal must be exercised before <strong>the</strong> tenancyends, unless <strong>the</strong> determinati<strong>on</strong> is unexpected <strong>and</strong> not dueto some act or default by <strong>the</strong> tenant; in <strong>the</strong> latterunexpected case <strong>the</strong> tenant who is not at fault should havean additi<strong>on</strong>al period up to two calendar m<strong>on</strong>ths in whichto remove property;(iv) in any event <strong>the</strong> right <strong>of</strong> removal must be exercised when<strong>the</strong> tenant vacates <strong>the</strong> demised premises; if it is not soexercised <strong>the</strong> l<strong>and</strong>lord should have <strong>the</strong> right to remove <strong>the</strong>tenant’s property for safekeeping <strong>and</strong> storage;(v) <strong>the</strong> l<strong>and</strong>lord should have <strong>the</strong> right to dispose <strong>of</strong> propertyso removed, if not reclaimed by <strong>the</strong> tenant, or o<strong>the</strong>r partyentitled to it, within 14 days <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> tenant vacating <strong>the</strong>demised premises;(vi) <strong>the</strong> cost <strong>of</strong> storage should be recoverable from <strong>the</strong> tenant,<strong>and</strong> be payable before property is returned <strong>on</strong> a reclaim ordeductible, toge<strong>the</strong>r with any o<strong>the</strong>r expenses reas<strong>on</strong>ablyincurred, from <strong>the</strong> proceeds <strong>of</strong> disposal before those arepaid over to <strong>the</strong> tenant;(vii) it should be made clear that in all cases <strong>the</strong> tenant’s right<strong>of</strong> removal c<strong>on</strong>tinues to apply to renewed, extended <strong>and</strong>varied tenancies;82

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