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27 2004

Residential Tenancies Act 2004

Chapter 3

Termination of Part 4 tenancy

Restriction on termination by landlord.

33. —A Part 4 tenancy may not be terminated by the landlord save in accordance with section 34 .

Grounds for termination by landlord.

34. —A Part 4 tenancy may be terminated by the landlord—

(a) on one or more of the grounds specified in the Table to this section if—

(i) a notice of termination giving the required period of notice is served by the landlord in respect of the tenancy, and

(ii) that notice of termination cites as the reason for the termination the ground or grounds concerned and, in the case of paragraph 4, 5 or 6 of that Table, contains or is accompanied by the statement referred to in that paragraph,

or

(b) irrespective of whether any of those grounds exist, if—

(i) a notice of termination giving the required period of notice is served by the landlord in respect of the tenancy, and

(ii) that period of notice expires on or after the end of the period of 4 years mentioned in section 28 (2)(a) in relation to the tenancy.

TABLE

Grounds for termination

1. The tenant has failed to comply with any of his or her obligations in relation to the tenancy (whether arising under this Act or otherwise) and, unless the failure provides an excepted basis for termination—

(a) the tenant has been notified of the failure by the landlord and that notification states that the landlord is entitled to terminate the tenancy if the failure is not remedied within a reasonable time specified in that notification, and

(b) the tenant does not remedy the failure within that specified time.

2. The dwelling is no longer suitable to the accommodation needs of the tenant and of any persons residing with him or her having regard to the number of bed spaces contained in the dwelling and the size and composition of the occupying household.

3. The landlord intends, within 3 months after the termination of the tenancy under this section, to enter into an enforceable agreement for the transfer to another, for full consideration, of the whole of his or her interest in the dwelling or the property containing the dwelling.

4. The landlord requires the dwelling or the property containing the dwelling for his or her own occupation or for occupation by a member of his or her family and the notice of termination (the “notice”) contains or is accompanied, in writing, by a statement—

(a) specifying—

(i) the intended occupant's identity and (if not the landlord) his or her relationship to the landlord, and

(ii) the expected duration of that occupation,

and

(b) that the landlord, by virtue of the notice, is required to offer to the tenant a tenancy of the dwelling if the contact details requirement is complied with and the following conditions are satisfied—

(i) the dwelling is vacated by the person referred to in subparagraph (a) within the period of 6 months from expiry of the period of notice required to be given by the notice or, if a dispute in relation to the validity of the notice was referred to the Board under Part 6 for resolution, the final determination of the dispute, and

(ii) the tenancy to which the notice related had not otherwise been validly terminated by virtue of the citation in the notice of the ground specified in paragraph 1, 2, 3 or 6 of this Table.

5. The landlord intends to substantially refurbish or renovate the dwelling or the property containing the dwelling in a way which requires the dwelling to be vacated for that purpose (and, where planning permission is required for the carrying out of that refurbishment or renovation, that permission has been obtained) and the notice of termination (the “notice”) contains or is accompanied, in writing, by a statement—

(a) specifying the nature of the intended works, and

(b) that the landlord, by virtue of the notice, is required to offer to the tenant a tenancy of the dwelling if the contact details requirement is complied with and the following conditions are satisfied—

(i) the dwelling becomes available for reletting, and

(ii) the tenancy to which the notice related had not otherwise been validly terminated by virtue of the citation in the notice of the ground specified in paragraph 1, 2, 3 or 6 of this Table.

6. The landlord intends to change the use of the dwelling or the property containing the dwelling to some other use (and, where planning permission is required for that change of use, that permission has been obtained) and the notice of termination (the “notice”) contains or is accompanied, in writing, by a statement—

(a) specifying the nature of the intended use, and

(b) that the landlord, by virtue of the notice, is required to offer to the tenant a tenancy of the dwelling if the contact details requirement is complied with and the following conditions are satisfied—

(i) the dwelling becomes available for reletting within the period of 6 months from expiry of the period of notice required to be given by the notice or, if a dispute in relation to the validity of the notice was referred to the Board under Part 6 for resolution, the final determination of the dispute, and

(ii) the tenancy to which the notice related had not otherwise been validly terminated by virtue of the citation in the notice of the ground specified in paragraph 1, 2 or 3 of this Table.

Table to section 34 : interpretation and supplemental.

35. —(1) In this section the “Table” means the Table to section 34 .

(2) In paragraph 1 of the Table “remedy the failure” means—

(a) in the case of a failure that does not result in financial loss or damage to the landlord or his or her property, to desist from the conduct that constitutes the failure or, if the failure consists of an omission to comply with an obligation, comply with that obligation, and

(b) in the case of a failure that does result in financial loss or damage to the landlord or his or her property—

(i) to pay adequate compensation to the landlord (or, if the failure consists of the non-payment of rent, pay the arrears of rent) or repair the damage fully, and

(ii) unless the failure is not of a continuing nature, to desist from the conduct that constitutes the failure or comply with the obligation concerned, as the case may be.

(3) In paragraph 1 of the Table the reference to a failure that provides an excepted basis for termination is a reference to a failure to comply with section 16 (h) where the behaviour in question falls within paragraph (a) or (b) of the definition of “behave in a way that is anti-social” in section 17 (1).

(4) In paragraph 4 of the Table the reference to a member of the landlord's family is a reference to any spouse, child, stepchild, foster child, grandchild, parent, grandparent, step parent, parent-in-law, brother, sister, nephew or niece of the landlord or a person adopted by the landlord under the Adoption Acts 1952 to 1998.

(5) In paragraph 4(b), 5(b) and 6(b) of the Table the reference to the contact details requirement being complied with is a reference to the following requirement being complied with, namely, a requirement (which shall be specified in the statement concerned) that the former tenant notify in writing the landlord—

(a) within 28 days from the service of the notice of termination concerned, or, if a dispute as to the validity of the notice was referred to the Board under Part 6 for resolution, the final determination of the dispute, of the means by which he or she can be contacted by the landlord so that the offer concerned can be made to him or her, and

(b) as soon as practicable after any such change occurs, of any change in the means (as so notified) by which the former tenant can be contacted for that purpose.

(6) If an offer such as is referred to in paragraph 4(b), 5(b) or 6(b) of the Table is accepted (within such reasonable period as shall be specified for that purpose in the offer) by the former tenant concerned (the “accepter”)—

(a) the resulting agreement is enforceable by the accepter (as well as by the offeror), and

(b) occupation by the accepter under the tenancy created in favour of him or her on foot of that agreement shall, together with his or her occupation under the former tenancy, be regarded, for the purposes of this Act, as continuous occupation by the accepter under the one tenancy.

Termination by tenant.

36. —(1) A tenant may terminate a Part 4 tenancy by serving on the landlord in respect of the tenancy a notice of termination giving the required period of notice.

(2) This section is without prejudice to Chapter 6.

Deemed termination by tenant.

37. —(1) Subject to subsection (3), a Part 4 tenancy shall be deemed to have been terminated by the tenant on his or her vacating the dwelling if—

(a) before or on or about that vacating, he or she serves a notice of termination in respect of the tenancy that does not give the required period of notice, and

(b) before or on that vacating the rent has fallen into arrears.

(2) Subject to subsection (3), a Part 4 tenancy shall also be deemed to have been terminated by the tenant upon any rent owed by him or her being in arrears for a period of 28 days or more if—

(a) whether before or after the end of that period, the tenant has vacated the dwelling, and

(b) no notice of termination has been served by the tenant in respect of the tenancy.

(3) Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply if the Part 4 tenancy has been sub-let or assigned.

(4) Nothing in the preceding subsections affects the liability of the tenant for rent for the period that would have elapsed had a notice of termination giving the required period of notice been served by him or her.

(5) This section is subject to Chapter 6.

Effect of assignment of Part 4 tenancy.

38. —(1) If a Part 4 tenancy is assigned by the tenant with the consent of the landlord then if the assignment is—

(a) to a person, other than a sub-tenant of the dwelling concerned, the assignment shall operate to convert the Part 4 tenancy of the dwelling into a periodic tenancy of the dwelling and the protection provided by section 28 for the assignor shall accordingly cease (but without prejudice to that section's fresh application in relation to the assignee should the circumstances mentioned in that section occur),

(b) to a sub-tenant of the dwelling concerned, the protection provided by section 28 for the assignor shall cease (but without prejudice to the Part 4 tenancy's continued subsistence as provided for in subsection (2)).

(2) If the assignment is to a sub-tenant of the dwelling concerned, the Part 4 tenancy shall continue in being (but in favour of that person and not the assignor) for the period that it would have continued in being had the assignment not been made and subject to the provisions of this Chapter; accordingly—

(a) the assignee shall become the tenant of the landlord under the Part 4 tenancy,

(b) the terms of the Part 4 tenancy shall continue to be those under which the assignor held the tenancy immediately before the assignment unless the assignee and the landlord agree to a variation of them, and

(c) the assignee's sub-tenancy of the dwelling shall merge with the Part 4 tenancy.

(3) Subsection (2)(c) does not affect the liabilities (if any) of the assignee to the assignor (or of the assignor to the assignee) that have arisen by virtue of the sub-tenancy concerned.

(4) The assignment of a Part 4 tenancy with respect to only part of the dwelling, the subject of the tenancy, is prohibited.

(5) Any such assignment purported to be made is void.

Termination on tenant's death.

39. —(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (4), a Part 4 tenancy shall terminate on the death of the tenant.

(2) Where the 2 conditions specified in subsection (3) are satisfied—

(a) subsection (1) does not apply, and

(b) the Part 4 tenancy concerned, accordingly, continues in being, subject to the other provisions of this Chapter, for the period for which it would otherwise have continued in being had the tenant concerned not died.

(3) Those conditions are—

(a) the dwelling, at the time of the death of the tenant concerned, was occupied by—

(i) a spouse of the tenant,

(ii) a person who was not a spouse of the tenant but who cohabited with the tenant as husband and wife in the dwelling for a period of at least 6 months ending on the date of the tenant's death,

(iii) a child, stepchild or foster child of the tenant, or a person adopted by the tenant under the Adoption Acts 1952 to 1998, being in each case aged 18 years or more, or

(iv) a parent of the tenant,

and

(b) one or more than one of the foregoing persons elects in writing to become a tenant or tenants of the dwelling.

(4) This section is subject to Chapter 6; without limiting the generality of this subsection, subsections (2) and (3) are not to be read as derogating from the operation of Chapter 6 in circumstances where a person referred to in subsection (3) is a multiple tenant (within the meaning of that Chapter) of the dwelling concerned.

(5) Irrespective of the number of instances of the application to the same dwelling of subsection (2) (by reason of a series of deaths of tenants), the Part 4 tenancy concerned shall not continue in being any longer than it would otherwise have continued in being had the first of those deaths not occurred.