Housing Act 1985

PART IV Charges

Grant of lease.

20 A charge (however created or arising) on the interest of the landlord which is not a tenant’s incumbrance does not affect a lease granted in pursuance of the right to buy.

Conveyance of freehold.

21 (1) This paragraph applies to a charge (however created or arising) on the freehold where the freehold is conveyed in pursuance of the right to buy.

(2) If the charge is not a tenant’s incumbrance and is not a rentcharge the conveyance is effective to release the freehold from the charge; but the release does not affect the personal liability of the landlord or any other person in respect of any obligation which the charge was created to secure.

(3) If the charge is a rentcharge the conveyance shall be made subject to the charge; but if the rentcharge also affects other land—

(a) the conveyance shall contain a covenant by the landlord to indemnify the tenant and his successors in title in respect of any liability arising under the rentcharge, and

(b) if the rent charge is of a kind which may be redeemed under the [1977 c. 30.] Rentcharges Act 1977 the landlord shall immediately after the conveyance take such steps as are necessary redeem the rentcharge so far as it affects land owned by him.

(4) In this paragraph “rentcharge” has the same meaning as in the Rentcharges Act 1977; and—

(a) for the purposes of sub-paragraph (3) land is owned by a person if he is the owner of it within the meaning of section 13(1) of that Act, and

(b) for the purposes of that sub-paragraph and that Act land which has been conveyed by the landlord in pursuance of the right to buy but subject to the rentcharge shall be treated as if it had not been so conveyed but had continued to be owned by him.