Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019

Application of Act of 2004 to certain licences

37. (1) The Act of 2004 shall apply to licences and licence agreements as it applies to tenancies of dwellings referred to in subsection (1A) of section 3 of that Act and tenancy agreements relating to such tenancies, subject to the following, and any other necessary, modifications:

(a) references to tenancy shall be construed as references to licence;

(b) references to tenancy agreement shall be construed as references to licensing agreement;

(c) references to landlord shall be construed as references to licensor;

(d) references to tenant (other than a tenant to whom the definition of “multiple tenants” in subsection (1) of section 48 applies) shall be construed as references to licensee;

(e) references to dwelling shall be construed as references to a residential unit (whether or not self-contained) situated in student accommodation;

(f) references to rent shall be construed as references to payments or charges (howsoever described) payable under a licence agreement to the licensor by any person (whether or not the licensee) in consideration of the licence concerned; and

(g) the deletion, in paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 12, of the words “and exclusive”.

(2) In this section—

“licence” means a licence—

(a) given by the owner (in this section referred to as the “licensor”) of student accommodation to a student (in this section referred to as the “licensee”), and

(b) created not earlier than one month after the commencement of this section,

permitting the licensee to enter and reside in a residential unit (whether or not self-contained) within that student accommodation in consideration of the making by any person (whether or not the licensee) of a payment or payments to the licensor;

“licence agreement” means an agreement (whether or not in writing) between the owner of student accommodation and a student giving a licence to the student;

“owner” has the meaning assigned to it by section 96 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 ;

“student” means a person registered as a student with a relevant provider (within the meaning of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012 );

“student accommodation” means a building, or part of a building, used for the sole purpose (subject to paragraphs (a), (b) and (c)) of providing residential accommodation to students during academic term times under a licence—

(a) whether or not the building or part of the building concerned is used for any other purpose outside of those times,

(b) whether or not any such students are permitted to reside there outside of those times, and

(c) whether or not any person other than a student resides there, provided that the purpose of the person’s residing there serves the first-mentioned purpose,

but does not include a building or part of a building used for the first-mentioned purpose where the licensor (other than a licensor who is not an individual) also resides in the building or part of the building concerned.