Rent Act 1977

2 (1) If, immediately before the commencement of this Act, a person (the "existing statutory tenant") was a statutory tenant of a dwelling-house by virtue of any enactment repealed by this Act (a " repealed enactment") that person shall, on the commencement of this Act, be a statutory tenant of the dwelling-house for the purposes of this Act.

(2) If, immediately before the existing statutory tenant became a statutory tenant, he was a tenant of the dwelling-house under a tenancy then, for the purposes of this Act, he shall be the statutory tenant by virtue of his previous protected tenancy.

(3) If the existing statutory tenant became a statutory tenant on the death of a person who was himself a tenant or statutory tenant of the dwelling-house then, for the purposes of this Act, the existing statutory tenant shall be a statutory tenant by succession ; and, unless he became a statutory tenant by virtue of section 13 of the [1965 c. 75.] Rent Act 1965, or paragraph 6 or 7 of Schedule 1 to the Rent Act 1968, he shall be deemed to be the first successor within the meaning of Schedule 1 to this Act.

(4) If the existing statutory tenant became a statutory tenant by virtue of an exchange under section 17 of the [1957 c. 25.] Rent Act 1957 or section 14 of the Rent Act 1968 then, for the purposes of this Act, he shall be deemed to be the statutory tenant by virtue of his previous protected tenancy or, as the case may be, a statutory tenant by succession, if immediately before the commencement of this Act he was so deemed for the purposes of the Rent Act 1968.

(5) If, by virtue of sub-paragraph (4) above, the existing statutory tenant is for the purposes of this Act a statutory tenant by succession, he shall be deemed to be the first successor, within the meaning of Schedule 1 to this Act if, and only if, the person who was a statutory tenant immediately before the date of exchange was not a statutory tenant by virtue of section 13 of the Rent Act 1965 or paragraph 6 or 7 of Schedule 1 to the Rent Act 1968.

(6) Without prejudice to the case where by virtue of sub-paragraph (4) or (5) above, the existing statutory tenant is deemed to be a statutory tenant by succession but is not deemed to be the first successor, within the meaning of Schedule 1 to this Act, paragraphs 5 to 7 of that Schedule shall not apply where the existing statutory tenant, or the person on whose death he became a statutory tenant, became a statutory tenant by virtue of an exchange under section 17 of the Rent Act 1957 or section 14 of the Rent Act 1968.