Rent Act 1977

152 Interpretation. E+W

(1) In this Act, except where the context otherwise requires,—

• “the appropriate day” has the meaning assigned to it by section 25(3) of this Act;

• . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1 “landlord” includes any person from time to time deriving title under the original landlord and also includes, in relation to any dwelling-house, any person other than the tenant who is, or but for Part VII of this Act would be, entitled to possession of the dwelling-house;

• “let” includes “sublet”;

• “long tenancy” means a tenancy granted for a term of years certain exceeding 21 years, whether or not subsequently extended by act of the parties or by any enactment;

• “protected furnished tenancy”, “regulated furnished tenancy” and “statutory furnished tenancy” mean a protected or, as the case may be, regulated or statutory tenancy—

(a) under which the dwelling-house concerned is bona fide let at a rent which includes payments in respect of furniture, and

(b) in respect of which the amount of rent which is fairly attributable to the use of furniture, having regard to the value of that use to the tenant, forms a substantial part of the whole rent;

• “protected tenant” and “protected tenancy” shall be construed in accordance with section 1 of this Act;

• “rates” includes water rates and charges but does not include an owner’s drainage rate as defined in section 63(2)(a) of the M1 Land Drainage Act 1976;

• “rateable value” shall be construed in accordance with section 25 of this Act;

• “regulated tenancy” shall be construed in accordance with section 18 of this Act;

• “rent tribunal” has the meaning given by section 76(1) of this Act;

• “rental period” means a period in respect of which a payment of rent falls to be made;

• “restricted contract” shall be construed in accordance with section 19 of this Act;

• [F2 “secure contract” has the same meaning as in the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 (anaw 1) (see section 8 of that Act);]

• “statutory tenant” and “statutory tenancy” shall be construed in accordance with section 2 of this Act;

• “tenant” includes statutory tenant and also includes a sub-tenant and any person deriving title under the original tenant or sub-tenant;

• “tenancy” includes “sub-tenancy”;

• “tenancy at a low rent” has the meaning assigned to it by section 5 of this Act.

(2) Except in so far as the context otherwise requires, any reference in this Act to any other enactment shall be taken as referring to that enactment as amended by or under any other enactment, including this Act.

[F3 (3) Section 239 of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 (anaw 1) abolishes, in relation to Wales, restricted contracts and protected shorthold tenancies and provides for the cessation of certain protected and statutory tenancies.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Definition repealed by Housing Act 1980 (c. 51, SIF 61), Sch. 26

F2 Words in s. 152(1) inserted (18.5.2023) by The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/550), regs. 1, 2(3)(a)

F3 S. 152(3) inserted (18.5.2023) by The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/550), regs. 1, 2(3)(b)

Marginal Citations

M1 1976 c. 70.