Landlord and Tenant Act, 1931

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Definitions.

2.—In this Act—

the word “tenement” means land or premises complying with all the following conditions, that is to say:—

(a) it either—

(i) is situate in an urban area and consists either of land covered wholly or partly by buildings or of a defined portion of a building, or

(ii) is situate elsewhere than in an urban area and consists of land not exceeding one statute acre in area and having a house thereon, and

(b) if it consists of land covered in part only by buildings, the portion of such land not so covered is subsidiary and ancillary to such buildings, and

(c) it is held by the occupier thereof under a lease or other contract of tenancy express or implied or arising by virtue of a statute, and

(d) such contract of tenancy is not a letting which is made and expressed to be made for the temporary convenience of the lessor or of the lessee and (if made after the passing of this Act) stating the nature of such temporary convenience, and

(e) such contract of tenancy is not a letting made for or dependent on the continuance of the tenant in any office, employment, or appointment;

the expression “urban area” means an area which is either a county or other borough, an urban district, a town, or a village;

the word “tenant” means the person for the time being entitled to the occupation of a tenement and, where the context so admits, includes a person who has ceased to be entitled to such occupation by reason of the termination of his tenancy;

the word “landlord” means the person for the time being entitled to receive (otherwise than as agent for another person) the rent paid in respect of a tenement by the tenant thereof and, where the context so admits, includes a person who has ceased to be so entitled by reason of the termination of his tenancy;

the expression “superior landlord” means a person entitled in possession to a tenement by a tenure superior, whether mediately or immediately, to the tenure of the landlord of such tenement;

the expression “predecessors in title” when used in relation to a tenant means and includes all previous tenants of the tenement of such tenant under the same tenancy as such tenant or any tenancy of which such tenancy is or is deemed to be a continuation or renewal, and the said expression when used in relation to a landlord means and includes all previous landlords of the tenement of such landlord;

the word “lease” means an instrument in writing, whether under or not under seal, containing a contract of tenancy in respect of any land in consideration of a rent or return and shall include a fee farm grant;

the word “lessee” shall, where the context so admits, be construed as including the executors, administrators, and assigns of the lessee;

the word “lessor” shall, where the context so admits, be construed as including the heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns of the lessor;

the word “improvement” when used in relation to a tenement means any addition or alteration to the buildings comprised in such tenement and includes any structure erected on such tenement which is ancillary or subsidiary to the said buildings and also includes the installation in the tenement of conduits for the supply of water, gas, or electricity, but does not include work consisting only of repairing, painting, and decorating, or any of them;

the word “business” means any trade, profession, or business carried on for gain or reward;

the expression “compensation under this Act” shall be construed as equivalent to the expression “compensation for improvements and compensation for disturbance or either of them”;

the expression “relief under this Act” shall be construed as equivalent to the expression “compensation for improvements or a new tenancy under Part III of this Act”;

the word “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the Minister for Justice under this Act;

except in Part V of this Act, the expression “building lease” means a lease made partly in consideration of the lessee having erected or agreed to erect permanent buildings, whether new or additional, on the demised premises.