Landlord and Tenant Act 1954

57 Modification on grounds of public interest of rights under Part II. E+W

(1) Where the interest of the landlord or any superior landlord in the property comprised in any tenancy belongs to or is held for the purposes of a Government department or is held by a local authority, statutory undertakers or a development corporation, the Minister or Board in charge of any Government department may certify that it is requisite for the purposes of the first-mentioned department, or, as the case may be, of the authority, undertakers or corporation, that the use or occupation of the property or a part thereof shall be changed by a specified date.

(2) A certificate under the last foregoing subsection shall not be given unless the owner of the interest belonging or held as mentioned in the last foregoing subsection has given to the tenant a notice stating—

(a) that the question of the giving of such a certificate is under consideration by the Minister or Board specified in the notice, and

(b) that if within twenty-one days of the giving of the notice the tenant makes to that Minister or Board representations in writing with respect to that question, they will be considered before the question is determined,

and if the tenant makes any such representations within the said twenty-one days the Minister or Board shall consider them before determining whether to give the certificate.

(3) Where a certificate has been given under subsection (1) of this section in relation to any tenancy, then,—

(a) if a notice given under subsection (1) of section twenty-five of this Act specifies as the date of termination a date not earlier than the date specified in the certificate and contains a copy of the certificate [F1 subsection] (6) of that section shall not apply to the notice and no application for a new tenancy shall be made by the tenant under [F2 subsection (1) of]section twenty-four of this Act;

(b) if such a notice specifies an earlier date as the date of termination and contains a copy of the certificate, then if the court makes an order under Part II of this Act for the grant of a new tenancy the new tenancy shall be for a term expiring not later than the date specified in the certificate and shall not be a tenancy to which Part II of this Act applies.

(4) Where a tenant makes a request for a new tenancy under section twenty-six of this Act, and the interest of the landlord or any superior landlord in the property comprised in the current tenancy belongs or is held as mentioned in subsection (1) of this section, the following provisions shall have effect:—

(a) if a certificate has been given under the said subsection (1) in relation to the current tenancy, and within two months after the making of the request the landlord gives notice to the tenant that the certificate has been given and the notice contains a copy of the certificate, then,—

(i) if the date specified in the certificate is not later than that specified in the tenant’s request for a new tenancy, the tenant shall not make an application under section twenty-four of this Act for the grant of a new tenancy;

(ii) if, in any other case, the court makes an order under Part II of this Act for the grant of a new tenancy the new tenancy shall be for a term expiring not later than the date specified in the certificate and shall not be a tenancy to which Part II of this Act applies;

(b) if no such certificate has been given but notice under subsection (2) of this section has been given before the making of the request or within two months thereafter, the request shall not have effect, without prejudice however to the making of a new request when the Minister or Board has determined whether to give a certificate.

(5) Where application is made to the court under Part II of this Act for the grant of a new tenancy and the landlord’s interest in the property comprised in the tenancy belongs or is held as mentioned in subsection (1) of this section, the Minister or Board in charge of any Government department may certify that it is necessary in the public interest that if the landlord makes an application in that behalf the court shall determine as a term of the new tenancy that it shall be terminable by six months’ notice to quit given by the landlord.

Subsection (2) of this section shall apply in relation to a certificate under this subsection, and if notice under the said subsection (2) has been given to the tenant—

(a) the court shall not determine the application for the grant of a new tenancy until the Minister or Board has determined whether to give a certificate,

(b) if a certificate is given, the court shall on the application of the landlord determine as a term of the new tenancy that it shall be terminable as aforesaid, and section twenty-five of this Act shall apply accordingly.

(6) The foregoing provisions of this section shall apply to an interest held by a [F3 [F4 Local Health Board] or Special Health Authority], as they apply to an interest held by a local authority but with the substitution, for the reference to the purposes of the authority, of a reference to the purposes of [F5 the National Health Service Act 2006 or the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006].

(7) Where the interest of the landlord or any superior landlord in the property comprised in any tenancy belongs to the National Trust [F6 the Secretary of State] may certify that it is requisite, for the purpose of securing that the property will as from a specified date be used or occupied in a manner better suited to the nature thereof, that the use or occupation of the property should be changed; and subsections (2) to (4) of this section shall apply in relation to certificates under this subsection, and to cases where the interest of the landlord or any superior landlord belongs to the National Trust, as those subsections apply in relation to certificates under subsection (1) of this section and to cases where the interest of the landlord or any superior landlord belongs or is held as mentioned in that subsection.

(8) In this and the next following section the expression “Government department” does not include [F7 the Crown Estate Commissioners] and the expression “landlord” has the same meaning as in Part II of this Act; and in the last foregoing subsection the expression “National Trust” means the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty.

Textual Amendments

F1 Word in s. 57(3)(a) substituted (1.6.2004) by Regulatory Reform (Business Tenancies) (England and Wales) Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/3096), art. 1(3), Sch. 5 para. 7

F2 Words in s. 57(3)(a) inserted (1.6.2004) by Regulatory Reform (Business Tenancies) (England and Wales) Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/3096), art. 1(3), Sch. 5 para. 7

F3 Words in s. 57 substituted (1.4.1996 subject as mentioned in s. 2(3) of the substituting Act) by 1995 c. 17, s. 2(1)(3), Sch. 1 Pt. III para. 89 (with sch. 2 paras. 6, 16)

F4 Words in s. 57(6) substituted (1.4.2007) by References to Health Authorities Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/961), art. 1(1), Sch. para. 3

F5 Words in s. 57(6) substituted (1.3.2007) by National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 2006 (c. 43), s. 8(2), Sch. 1 para. 15 (with Sch. 3 Pt. 1)

F6 Words substituted by virtue of S.I. 1962/1549, art. 2 and 1970/1681, arts. 2, 6(3)

F7 Words substituted by virtue of Crown Estate Act 1956 (c. 73), s. 1(1)(7) and Crown Estate Act 1961 (c. 55), s. 1(1), Sch. 2 para. 4(1)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 57 extended by S.I. 1965/1536, art. 12(2), Sch. 3 and Leasehold Reform Act 1967 (c. 88), ss. 28(3), 38(2)

C2 S. 57(1)-(6) functions made exercisable concurrently or jointly with the Welsh Ministers by 2006 c. 32, Sch. 3A para. 1 (as inserted (1.4.2018) by Wales Act 2017 (c. 4), s. 71(4), Sch. 4 para. 1 (with Sch. 7 paras. 1, 6); S.I. 2017/1179, reg. 3(p))