Exceptions to re-letting rules HA 1988 s. 16F
Section 16F sets out exceptions to section 16E letting and marketing prohibitions for Ground 1, Ground 1A buyers, and shared ownership landlords.
Section 16E(2) (prohibition on letting and licensing within restricted period) does not apply where— the relevant person relies on Ground 1 and— the tenant or licensee is a person mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (d) of that ground, or a person mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (d) of Ground 1 also occupies the dwelling-house and does so as their only or principal home; the relevant person relies on Ground 1A and— the licensee has agreed to purchase the landlord’s interest in the dwelling-house and the licence to occupy is granted in anticipation of that purchase, or the licensee has agreed to the landlord granting the licensee a lease of the dwelling-house for a term certain of more than 21 years which is not terminable before the end of that term by notice given by or to the landlord, and the licence to occupy is granted in anticipation of the grant of that lease, or Section 16E(3) (prohibition on marketing within restricted period) does not apply where the marketing is in connection with letting, or occupation under a licence, which is permitted as a result of subsection (1). Subsection (4) applies where the relevant person relies on Ground 1A and— before the assured tenancy was entered into, a relevant person had given the tenant under the assured tenancy (“ T ”) a written statement that the landlord under that tenancy (“ L ”) is a shared owner of the dwelling-house and that section 16E(2) or (3) might not apply to a subsequent letting, or grant of a licence, of the dwelling-house (because of this subsection and subsection (4, when the assured tenancy was entered into, L was a shared owner of the dwelling-house, and before the date specified in the notice as mentioned in section 8(3)(b), a relevant person had given the landlord under the shared ownership lease of the dwelling-house a written statement that L intends to assign L’s interest under that shared ownership lease. Section 16E(2) or (3) does not prohibit a relevant person from carrying out a controlled activity if— before the relevant person carries out that activity— the dwelling-house has been valued by a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in connection with the assignment of L’s interest under the shared ownership lease, or L has advertised, or made an arrangement under which another person has advertised, that the dwelling-house is or may be available for acquisition by way of the assignment of L’s interest under the shared ownership lease, and when the relevant person carries out that activity, L is a shared owner of the dwelling-house. In subsections (3) and (4)— “ controlled activity ” means an activity that would (if subsection (4) did not apply) be prohibited by section 16E(2) or (3); “ shared owner ”, in relation to a dwelling-house, means a person— who is the tenant of the dwelling-house under a shared ownership lease, and whose share in the premises demised by the lease is less than 100%; and for this purpose, the tenant’s share in the premises demised is the tenant’s initial share in those premises, plus any additional share or shares in those premises which the tenant has acquired; “ shared ownership lease ” means a lease— granted on payment of a premium calculated by reference to a percentage of the value of the premises demised by the lease or of the cost of providing them, or under which the tenant (or the tenant’s personal representatives) will or may be entitled to a sum calculated by reference, directly or indirectly, to the value of those premises.
Text in force at .
Source: legislation.gov.uk — The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), reproduced under licence Open Government Licence v3.0.
What it actually says
Section 16F creates exceptions to the restrictions on letting, licensing, and marketing properties under section 16E. A landlord relying on Ground 1 can re-let or permit occupation if the occupant is named under Ground 1, or if a person mentioned in Ground 1 occupies the dwelling-house as their only or principal home.
Where a landlord relies on Ground 1A, a licence to occupy is permitted if the licensee has agreed to purchase the landlord's interest, or if the licence is granted in anticipation of a lease for a term certain of more than 21 years that cannot be ended early by notice.
Section 16F also permits controlled activities and marketing by a shared owner whose share in the dwelling-house is less than 100%. This exception applies if required written statements were provided and the property was valued by a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors or advertised for assignment.
When it applies
- A landlord re-lets a dwelling-house under Ground 1 to a person mentioned in that ground who lives there as their principal home.
- A landlord grants a licence to occupy to a buyer who has agreed to purchase the landlord's interest in the dwelling-house.
- A landlord grants a licence to occupy ahead of granting a long lease for a term certain of more than 21 years.
- A shared owner with a share under 100% markets their interest after having the dwelling-house valued by a chartered surveyor.
What this section does not say
- The general prohibitions against letting or marketing during a restricted period, which are set out in section 16E.
- Rules defining what activities constitute marketing or controlled activities in general.
- Financial penalties and legal sanctions for breaching letting duties.
Related sections
That's the law. Now let's settle your problem.
Say what is happening. A neutral mediator hears your side and the other party's, and walks you both to a written agreement. In the advanced settings you can ask for the decision to be reasoned on the Acts of Parliament that apply in England and Wales.
Or open a session directly and invite the other party.
We copy this text from the official publisher and re-check it against that source on every page load, but we cannot guarantee it is complete, current or free of error, and we accept no liability for any reliance on it. An amendment can take effect before a consolidation catches up. The publisher's own copy is linked below; where the two differ, it is the official one that counts.
This page reproduces the text of HA 1988 s. 16F in force at the date shown and explains it in general terms. It is not legal advice and takes no account of the circumstances of your case, which can change the answer completely. For a live dispute, for limitation periods, and before taking any step in court, consult a qualified lawyer in England and Wales.