Section 29 — Offences of harassment.

(1) In section 1 of the 1977 Act (unlawful eviction and harassment of occupier), with respect to acts done after the commencement of this Act, subsection (3) shall have effect with the substitution, for the word “calculated”, of the word “likely”.

(2) After that subsection there shall be inserted the following subsections—3ASubject to subsection (3B) below, the landlord of a residential occupier or an agent of the landlord shall be guilty of an offence if—ahe does acts likely to interfere with the peace or comfort of the residential occupier or members of his household, orbhe persistently withdraws or withholds services reasonably required for the occupation of the premises in question as a residence,and (in either case) he knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, that that conduct is likely to cause the residential occupier to give up the occupation of the whole or part of the premises or to refrain from exercising any right or pursuing any remedy in respect of the whole or part of the premises.3BA person shall not be guilty of an offence under subsection (3A) above if he proves that he had reasonable grounds for doing the acts or withdrawing or withholding the services in question.3CIn subsection (3A) above “landlord”, in relation to a residential occupier of any premises, means the person who, but for—athe residential occupier’s right to remain in occupation of the premises, orba restriction on the person’s right to recover possession of the premises,would be entitled to occupation of the premises and any superior landlord under whom that person derives title.