Landlord and Tenant Act 1985

Miscellaneous

31 Reserve power to limit rents.

(1) The Secretary of State may by order provide for—

(a) restricting or preventing increases of rent for dwellings which would otherwise take place, or

(b) restricting the amount of rent which would otherwise be payable on new lettings of dwellings;

and may provide either generally or in relation to any specified description of dwelling.

(2) An order may contain supplementary or incidental provisions, including provisions excluding, adapting or modifying any provision made by or under an enactment (whenever passed) relating to rent or the recovery of overpaid rent.

(3) In this section—

• “new letting” includes any grant of a tenancy, whether or not the premises were previously let, and any grant of a licence;

• “rent” includes a sum payable under a licence, but does not include a sum attributable to rates or, in the case of dwellings of local authorities or new town corporations, to the use of furniture, or the provision of services;

and for the purposes of this section an increase in rent takes place at the beginning of the rental period for which the increased rent is payable.

(4) An order under this section shall be made by statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.