Is your Long Lease just a Glorified Assured Shorthold Tenancy?

Not many people, and that includes the vast majority of lawyers, know that any long lease commencing after the Housing Act 1996 came into force is potentially an assured shorthold tenancy (AST) if:

1. the ground rent is over £250 per year (or £1000 per year in London); and
2. the property is the only or principal residence of the leaseholder.

There is nothing in Housing Act 1988 which sets a maximum term on an AST. So, if the conditions above are met the lease could well be an AST with a term of, for example, 99, 125 or 999 years.

This would also be the case where a ground rent clause in a lease triggers an increase in ground rent to over £250 (£1000 in London). The lease would become an AST, regardless of when it was entered into (as long as the property was and remains the only or principal residence of the leaseholder at the relevant time).

But what is the relevance of all of this we hear you ask. In some ways, it is wholly irrelevant. Section 21 would only come into play at the distant end of the fixed term, statutory rights to a lease extension still apply, there is unlikely to be a deposit, and so on. Though it also appears that a statutory periodic tenancy would arise on expiry of the lease term.

But there are two consequences that are important

The Schedule 2 Housing Act 1988 grounds for possession would apply. Of particular concern is ground 8 – the mandatory rent arrears ground.

Both at the date of the service of the notice under section 8 of this Act relating to the proceedings for possession and at the date of the hearing:

1. if rent is payable weekly or fortnightly, at least eight weeks’ rent is unpaid;
2. if rent is payable monthly, at least two months’ rent is unpaid;
3. if rent is payable quarterly, at least one quarter’s rent is more than three months in arrears; and
4. if rent is payable yearly, at least three months’ rent is more than three months in arrears;

and for the purpose of this ground “rent” means rent lawfully due from the tenant. Take note that for shared ownership properties it also includes the rnet which is payable on the percentage share which you do not own.

As an example, take an annual ground rent payment of £1200, payable on 1 January. If at least £300 of that payment is not paid by 31 March, a section 8 notice can be served and then proceedings issued. If the £300 remains unpaid at date of court hearing, the court must make a possession order, ending the lease.

Under the usual long lease forfeiture provisions for rent arrears, the court had wide ranging powers to grant relief from forfeiture if arrears are paid off, even after a possession order has been made. Ground 8, however, admits no such discretion.

While a mortgage lender (if there is one) will usually step in on arrears cases to preserve its security, the relative speed and unfamiliarity of ground 8 proceedings present a risk.

It is imperative therefore that if your rent exceeds the £250 (£1,000 in London) level that you keep your ground rent payments up to date on time and in full. 

The second issue is the right of first refusal under Landlord and Tenant Act 1987.  Section 3(1)(d) states that an assured tenancy under Housing Act 1988 is not a qualifying tenancy for the purposes of section 1. So leases that are an AST

1. do not have to be notified of intended sale of whole or part of the building, and 
2. do not count towards the 50% of total premises required to trigger the ‘first refusal’ obligation.

However, lease extension, enfranchisement and right to manage rights are not affected, as they use a different definition of ‘qualifying tenant’ (Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 – s.5).

As if this wasn’t enough, and because landlord and tenant law is nothing if not clear and consistent, how can one actually tell if a lease is an AST? While the initial criteria – as set out above – are relatively straightforward, it also all depends if the leaseholder has continued to occupy the property as their only or principal home. If at any point after the lease commenced as, or became an, AST, the leaseholder let out the whole property to a sub-tenant, or otherwise ceased to occupy it as their only or principal home, then it ceases to be an AST. It does not matter if the leaseholder subsequently again occupies the property as their only or principal home, as assured status cannot be ‘revived’. However, the leaseholder returning to the property as primary residence would revive ‘assured’ tenant status and so the AST.

So, the lease may or may not be an AST, there may or may not be decreased security against possession, there may or may not be an obligation to notify the leaseholder of a relevant disposal by the freeholder and there may or may not be an obligation to offer the leaseholders first refusal on a disposal. It all depends.

For further information on Landlord and Tenant Law or any aspect of Leasehold conveyancing why not contact one of Alexander JLO’s expert lawyers and see what we can do for you?

This blog was prepared by Alexander JLO’s senior partner, Peter Johnson on the 31st March 2020 and is correct at the time of publication. With decades of experience in almost all areas of law, Peter is happy to assist with any legal issue that you have. His profile on the independent Review Solicitor website can be found Here