Landlord and Tenant Act 1954

Relief in proceedings by superior landlordE+W

9(1)Where in the case of a tenancy to which section one of this Act applies—E+W

(a)the interest of the immediate landlord is itself a tenancy (in this paragraph referred to as “the mesne tenancy”), and

(b)a superior landlord has brought proceedings to enforce a right of re-entry or forfeiture in respect of a failure to comply with any terms of the mesne tenancy or of a superior tenancy having effect subject to the mesne tenancy, and

(c)the court makes an order for the recovery by the superior landlord of possession of the property comprised in the tenancy,

the tenant shall not be required to give up possession of that property unless he has been a party to the proceedings or has been given notice of the order; and the provisions of the next following sub-paragraph shall have effect where he has been such a party or has been given such a notice:

Provided that where the tenant has been a party to the proceedings the said provisions shall not apply unless he has at any time before the making of the order made application in the proceedings for relief under this paragraph.

(2)If the tenant within fourteen days after the making of the order, or where he has not been a party to the proceedings, within fourteen days after the said notice, gives notice in writing to the superior landlord that he desires that the following provisions of this sub-paragraph shall have effect and lodges a copy of the notice in the court—

(a)the tenant shall not be required to give up possession of the said property but the tenancy mentioned in head (b) of the last foregoing sub-paragraph shall be deemed as between the tenant and the superior landlord to have been surrendered on the date of the order; and

(b)if the term date of the tenant’s tenancy would otherwise fall later, it shall be deemed for the purposes of Part I of this Act to fall at the expiration of seven months from the making of the order.

(3)Nothing in the foregoing provisions of this paragraph shall prejudice the operation of any order for the recovery of possession from the tenant under the mesne tenancy, or from the tenant under any superior tenancy having effect subject to the mesne tenancy.

(4)Subsections (4), (6) and (7) of section sixteen of this Act shall with the necessary modifications apply for the purposes of this paragraph.