Landlord & Tenant Flashcards
What is Privity of Contract?
Tenant can assign his interest in the tenancy but not his relationship with the Landlord.
What was the procedure prior to the Landlord & Tenant (Covenants) Act 1995
Under Privity of the first tenant remains liable throughout the tenancy regardless of assignment. An assignee fault at any time meant the original tenant is liable for rental payments etc.
What was the effect of the Landlord & Tenant (Covenants) Act 1995?
Introduction of AGA’s for the most recent former tenant only to guarantee the lease obligations of the immediate assignee as a voluntary arrangement to be agreed by LL & T.
s.17 notice can be served on the guarantor within 6 months of the tenant defaulting.
Common practice to include AGA provisions within lease AGAs may not be required if the assignee is financially strong enough and can place surety on the lease.
What does the 1954 Landlord & Tenant do?
Provides tenants with ‘security of tenure’
What is s.24?
A business tenancy contracted inside the Act does not expire by effluxion of time- but when one party serves notice.
What is Security of Tenure?
The right for a tenant to remain in occupation after its lease term expires. An inside the Act lease needs to formally be bought to an end through serving notice.
What is a s.25 notice?
Notice served by LL on T to terminate the lease.
- Cannot terminate before contractual expiry
- would either be friendly or hostile.
12 to 6 months before contractual expiry. Must be at least 6 months.
What is s.26 notice?
Tenant request for new tenancy not more than 12 months not less than 6 months until lease expiry. Proposed terms of new tenancy. LL has 2 months to counter.
What is a s.27 notice?
A tenants notice to terminate. 3 months notice after lease expiry date. If tenant provides VP before lease expiry no notice is to be served.
On what grounds can a Landlord oppose a new lease?
- Breach of repairing covenant
- Persistent delay in paying rent
- Other substantial breach
- Provide suitable alternative accommodation
- Uneconomic subdivision (comp payable)
- Demolition (comp payable)
- Owner occupation (comp payable)
Impact on break clauses with contracted inside the act leases?
LL to serve s.25
Reasoning under s.30
Dispute resolution for Rent Reviews?
Depends on the lease-usually an arbitrator or Independent wittness. RICS have an ADR section which costs £425.
Would you rather an arbitrator or independent witness
Falling market- arbitrator - relies on submitted evidence
Rising market- independent expert would be preferable.
What is an arbitrator?
Used for third party determination of rent reviews.
Sets out a timetable for the parties to present their evidence and arguments. The arbitrator will consider both sides cases and to make an informed decision.
What is an Independent Expert?
Third party determination of a rent review.
Someone with detailed knowledge of the market as a valuer. They can make their own investigations and form their own opinion.
Key differences?
- Arbitrator can act on evidence provided.
- Independent Expert has a duty of investigation to discover the facts and can does not have to consider evidence provided and can use their own knowledge.
- Arbitrator governed by Arbitration Act 1996. 4. Expert is governed by what it says in a lease.
- Arbitrator has power over all costs
- Independent Expert only has power over own costs.
What is PACT
Professional Arbitration on Court Terms.
ADR for determination of unopposed Lease Renewal.
Parties agree which points are agreed and which is to be decided by third party.
Avoids full court hearing.
What parts of the LTA govern pact
s.29- order by court for new tenancy
s. 32-35 terms of the new tenancy
What are the other sections of the Act not mentioned?
s.30 LL grounds for opposing.
s.34 basis of valuation for new rent.
s.37- Compensation provisions
s38A- contracting out
s.40- Notice RFI on either party
s.44- Definition of competent LL
What goes into a rent review memorandum?
Contracting parties, address of property, date of the lease and rent review, confirmation on new rent agreed, signed and dated by both parties.
Can also be recorded as expert determination or arbitrators award or written acceptance of Calderbank Offer
What is a Calderbank Offer?
-Used for early resolution of a dispute to prevent costs escalating.
- Letter must be served ‘without prejudice save as to costs’.
- Is a negotiation tool for rent reviews as the losing party will pay both parties costs.
- The offer must set out terms to settle the dispute and a time limit to accept (21 days)
- Arbitrator makes award for costs
What is included within the Agreed Facts for third party determination
Summary of points agreed between both parties, lease terms, floor areas and comparable.
Can you appeal an expert determination?
No but can sue for negligence
What is included in s.25 notice
- Name & Address of the Landlord & Tenant.
- Address of property
- Notice of the date to end the tenancy
- Friendly or hostile?
Section 23 states that to gain protection under the act, what 6 basic elements are required under a business tenancy?
Is it a tenancy?
The premises must be used for business.
6 + months occupancy.
An example of court case in L&T regarding the difference between & lease and a licence
Street Vs Mountford. The court deemed that despite being labelled a license agreement, the agreement granted was in fact a lease
Difference between a lease and a license?
‘A license passes no interest in land but only makes lawful what otherwise would be unlawful’ Murdoch 1998
License:
A right to enter, personal arrangement, no interest in the property acquired, personal right granted, terminable at anytime.
Lease: Exclusive possessions, rent paid, defined term, 3 years+ to be documented by in writing and registered as a deed.
Lease provides an interest in land, can be assigned, lease cannot be terminated until expiry.
Section 37 - If the Landlord obtains possession, tenant is due compensation for disturbances:
If compensation is payable by the Landlord after they have served a section 25 notice, how is the compensation calculated?
Tenant in occupation for less than 14 years, comp payable at rateable value x1 at the time of s.25 notice being served.
14 years + 2x ratable value comp.
If the lease is silent on LTA 54 is it inside or outside?
Inside. Tenant must sign stat dec if the lease is contracted out.
Time of the Essence?
A party can only request action on an aspect of a lease such as rent review. Failure to trigger review within time limit means the right to review is lost.
What is a Wayleave
A temporary right that receives annual. Electricity company with the right to install and retain their apparatus
What does without Prejudice mean
During the period of negotiations the opposing party cannot rely upon documents that are labelled ‘without prejudice’
How can a lease be drafted outside the act
s.38A: tenant is to make stat dec that they are aware that their lease is not protected.
What is an Expert witness?
An expert witness is a person engaged to give an opinion based on experience, knowledge and expertise. The overriding duty of an expert witness is to provide independent, impartial and unbiased evidence to the court or tribunal.
Lease Renewal v Rent Review
-Lease renewal is statutory process laid down by LTA 54
- rent review is a contractual procedure contained within the lease.
IF contracted out there is no statutory procedure for renewal