Section 20A — Post-Housing Act 1996 tenancies: duty of landlord to provide statement as to terms of tenancy.

(1) [F1 Subject to subsection (3) below, a tenant under an assured shorthold tenancy to which section 19A above applies may, by notice in writing, require the landlord under that tenancy to provide him with a written statement of any term of the tenancy which—]

(a) [F1 falls within subsection (2) below, and]

(b) [F1 is not evidenced in writing.]

(2) [F1 The following terms of a tenancy fall within this subsection, namely—]

(a) [F1 the date on which the tenancy began or, if it is a statutory periodic tenancy or a tenancy to which section 39(7) below applies, the date on which the tenancy came into being,]

(b) [F1 the rent payable under the tenancy and the dates on which that rent is payable,]

(c) [F1 any term providing for a review of the rent payable under the tenancy, and]

(d) [F1 in the case of a fixed term tenancy, the length of the fixed term.]

(3) [F1 No notice may be given under subsection (1) above in relation to a term of the tenancy if—]

(a) [F1 the landlord under the tenancy has provided a statement of that term in response to an earlier notice under that subsection given by the tenant under the tenancy, and]

(b) [F1 the term has not been varied since the provision of the statement referred to in paragraph (a) above.]

(4) [F1 A landlord who fails, without reasonable excuse, to comply with a notice under subsection (1) above within the period of 28 days beginning with the date on which he received the notice is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.]

(5) [F1 A statement provided for the purposes of subsection (1) above shall not be regarded as conclusive evidence of what was agreed by the parties to the tenancy in question.]

(6) [F1 Where—]

(a) [F1 a term of a statutory periodic tenancy is one which has effect by virtue of section 5(3)(e) above, or]

(b) [F1 a term of a tenancy to which subsection (7) of section 39 below applies is one which has effect by virtue of subsection (6)(e) of that section,]

[F1 subsection (1) above shall have effect in relation to it as if paragraph (b) related to the term of the tenancy from which it derives.]

(7) [F1 In subsections (1) and (3) above—]

(a) [F1 references to the tenant under the tenancy shall, in the case of joint tenants, be taken to be references to any of the tenants, and]

(b) [F1 references to the landlord under the tenancy shall, in the case of joint landlords, be taken to be references to any of the landlords.]

Amendment notes

1. F1 S. 20A inserted (28.2.1997) by 1996 c. 52, s. 97; S.I. 1997/225, art. 2 (with Sch.)