__________ CONSULTATION PAPER ON GENERAL LAW OF LANDLORD AND TENANT __________ (LRC CP 28 – 2003) IRELAND The Law Reform Commission 35-39 Shelbourne Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 © Copyright The Law Reform Commission 2003 First Published December 2003 ISSN 1393 – 3140 ii THE LAW REFORM COMMISSION Background The Law Reform Commission is an independent statutory body whose main aim is to keep the law under review and to make practical proposals for its reform. It was established on 20 October 1975, pursuant to section 3 of the Law Reform Commission Act 1975. The Commission’s Second Programme for Law Reform, prepared in consultation with the Attorney General, was approved by the Government and copies were laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas in December 2000. The Commission also works on matters which are referred to it on occasion by the Attorney General under the terms of the 1975 Act. To date, the Commission has published 69 Reports containing proposals for reform of the law; 11 Working Papers; 27 Consultation Papers; a number of specialised Papers for limited circulation; An Examination of the Law of Bail; and 24 Annual Reports in accordance with section 6 of the 1975 Act. A full list of its publications is contained in the Appendix to this Consultation Paper. Membership The Law Reform Commission consists of a President, one full-time Commissioner and three part-time Commissioners. The Commissioners at present are: President The Hon Mr Justice Declan Budd High Court Full-Time Commissioner Patricia T Rickard-Clarke Solicitor Part-Time Commissioner Dr Hilary A Delany, Barrister-at-Law Senior Lecturer In Law, Head of Law School, Trinity College Dublin iii Part-Time Commissioner Professor Finbarr McAuley Jean Monnet Professor of European Criminal Justice University College Dublin Part-Time Commissioner Marian Shanley Solicitor Secretary John Quirke Research Staff Director of Research Raymond Byrne BCL, LLM Barrister-at-Law Legal Researchers Deirdre Ahern LLB,LLM (Cantab) Solicitor Simon Barr LLB (Hons), BSc Patricia Brazil LLB, Barrister-at-Law Ronan Flanagan LLB, LLM (Cantab) Glen Gibbons BA, LLB (NUI), LLM (Cantab) Claire Hamilton LLB (Ling Franc), MLitt, Barrister-at-Law Darren Lehane BCL, LLM (NUI) Trevor Redmond LLB, LLM (Cantab) Eadaoin Rock LLB, LLM (Cantab) Jennifer Schweppe BCL (Euro) Administration Staff Project Manager Pearse Rayel Legal Information Manager Marina Greer BA, H Dip LIS Cataloguer Eithne Boland BA (Hons) H Dip Ed, H Dip LIS iv Executive Officer Denis McKenna Private Secretary Liam Dargan to the President Clerical Officers Alan Bonny Debbie Murray Contact Details Further information can be obtained from: The Secretary The Law Reform Commission 35-39 Shelbourne Road Ballsbridge Dublin 4 Telephone (01) 637 7600 Fax No (01) 637 7601 Email [email protected] Website www.lawreform.ie v Landlord and Tenant Law Working Group In July 2001, the Law Reform Commission established the Landlord and Tenant Project aimed at reform and consolidation of Landlord and Tenant Law. It engaged the services of Professor JCW Wylie as expert consultant and leader of a Working Group comprising legal practitioners with knowledge and experience of this area of the law and representatives of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Professor Wylie is the author of several standard texts on Irish property law, including Irish Landlord and Tenant Law (2nd ed Butterworths 1998). The other members of the Working Group are: The Hon Mr Justice Declan Budd, President of the Law Reform Commission Commissioner Patricia T Rickard-Clarke (Convenor) John F Buckley, Solicitor (former judge of the Circuit Court) Ruth Cannon, Barrister-at-Law James Dwyer, SC Patrick Fagan, Solicitor Ernest B Farrell, Solicitor Colin Keane, Solicitor Caroline Kelly, Barrister-at-Law Michael G MacGrath, SC Sheila McMahon, Department of the Environment and Local Government Gavin Ralston, SC Regina Terry, Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform John Walsh, Solicitor Professor David Gwynn Morgan Mark O’Riordan was Secretary and Legal Researcher to the Group for most of the period during which the subject matter of this Consultation Paper was under consideration. He was replaced by Trevor Redmond in June 2003. The Law Reform Commission wishes to record its appreciation of the indispensable contribution which the members of this Working Group have made and continue to make, on a voluntary basis, to the Commission’s examination of this area of the law. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................1 CHAPTER 1 THE RELATIONSHIP OF LANDLORD AND TENANT....5 A Historical Background.......................................................................................5 B Importance of the Relationship .........................................................................8 C Identification of a Tenancy..............................................................................10 D Deasy’s Act, section 3......................................................................................11 E Exclusive Possession.......................................................................................19 F Rent..................................................................................................................20 G The Parties’ Agreement...................................................................................25 CHAPTER 2 FORMALITIES .........................................................................33 A Contracts and Grants .......................................................................................33 B Contracts ..........................................................................................................36 C Leases...............................................................................................................38 D Periodic Tenancies...........................................................................................44 E Surrenders ........................................................................................................47 F Assignments.....................................................................................................51 CHAPTER 3 SUCCESSORS IN TITLE ........................................................53 A Assignment by the Tenant...............................................................................54 B Assignment by the Landlord ...........................................................................57 C Position of Assignee ........................................................................................58 D Position of Assignor ........................................................................................61 E Part Assignments .............................................................................................65 F Sublettings .......................................................................................................68 CHAPTER 4 FIXTURES..................................................................................73 A Common Law ..................................................................................................77 B Deasy’s Act, Section 17...................................................................................78 CHAPTER 5 OBLIGATIONS .........................................................................85 A Purpose of Legislation.....................................................................................85 (1) Law Reform.............................................................................................86 (2) Consumer Protection ...............................................................................86 (3) Default Provisions ...................................................................................89 (4) Nature of Statutory Obligations ..............................................................89 CHAPTER 6 LANDLORD’S OBLIGATIONS .............................................93 A Title..................................................................................................................93 B Quiet Enjoyment..............................................................................................95 C Repairs ...........................................................................................................100 D Insurance........................................................................................................106 vii E Landlord’s Identity and Agent ......................................................................107 F Return of Deposit...........................................................................................108 G Registration of Tenancies..............................................................................108 CHAPTER 7 TENANT’S OBLIGATIONS..................................................109 CHAPTER 8 RENT AND OTHER PAYMENTS .......................................111 A Obligation to Pay Rent ..................................................................................111 B Apportionment...............................................................................................113 C Rent Review...................................................................................................116 D Recovery of Rent...........................................................................................118