Payments demanded by protected or statutory tenants as a condition of giving up possessionN.I.
16.—(1) A protected or statutory tenant of a dwelling-house who, as a condition of giving up possession of the dwelling-house, asks for or receives the payment of any sum, or the giving up of any other consideration, by any person other than the landlord, shall be guilty of an offence and liable to[F1 a fine not exceeding £500].
(2) Where a protected or statutory tenant of a dwelling-house requires that furniture or other articles shall be purchased as a condition of his giving up possession of the dwelling-house—
(a)the price demanded shall, at the request of the person on whom the demand is made, be stated in writing, and
(b)if the price exceeds the reasonable price of the articles, the excess shall be treated, for the purposes of paragraph (1), as a sum asked to be paid as a condition of giving up possession.
(3) The court by which a person is convicted of an offence under this Article may order the payment—
(a)to the person who made any such payment, or gave any such consideration, as is referred to in paragraph (1), of the amount of that payment or the value of that consideration, or
(b)to the person who paid any such price as is referred to in paragraph (2)( a), of the amount by which the price paid exceeds the reasonable price.