Prospective
10E+WBefore section 143H (but after the italic heading) insert—
“143GAPersons qualified to succeed to demoted tenancy: England
(1)A person is qualified to succeed the tenant under a demoted tenancy of a dwelling-house in England if—
(a)the person occupies the dwelling-house as his or her only or principal home at the time of the tenant's death, and
(b)the person is the tenant's spouse or civil partner.
(2)A person is qualified to succeed the tenant under a demoted tenancy of a dwelling-house in England if—
(a)at the time of the tenant's death the dwelling-house is not occupied by a spouse or civil partner of the tenant as his or her only or principal home,
(b)an express term of the tenancy makes provision for a person other than such a spouse or civil partner of the tenant to succeed to the tenancy, and
(c)the person's succession is in accordance with that term.
(3)Subsection (1) or (2) does not apply if the tenant was a successor as defined in section 132.
(4)In such a case, a person is qualified to succeed the tenant if—
(a)an express term of the tenancy makes provision for a person to succeed a successor to the tenancy, and
(b)the person's succession is in accordance with that term.
(5)For the purposes of this section a person who was living with the tenant as the tenant's wife or husband is to be treated as the tenant's spouse.
(6)Subsection (7) applies if, on the death of the tenant, there is by virtue of subsection (5) more than one person who fulfils the condition in subsection (1)(b).
(7)Such one of those persons as may be agreed between them or as may, where there is no such agreement, be selected by the landlord is for the purpose of this section to be treated as fulfilling that condition.
(8)This section applies to a tenancy that became a demoted tenancy before or after Schedule 8 of the Housing Act 2015 comes into force.
143GBSuccession to demoted tenancy: England
(1)This section applies if the tenant under a demoted tenancy of a dwelling-house in England dies.
(2)Where there is a person qualified to succeed the tenant under section 143GA, the tenancy vests by virtue of this section—
(a)in that person, or
(b)if there is more than one such person, in such one of them as may be agreed between them or as may, where there is no agreement, be selected by the landlord.
(3)Where a periodic demoted tenancy vests in a person qualified to succeed the tenant under section 143GA(2) or (4) and continues to be a demoted tenancy—
(a)the tenancy comes to an end immediately after vesting, and
(b)a new tenancy of the same dwelling-house arises by virtue of this subsection for a fixed term of 5 years.
(4)The parties and terms of a tenancy arising by virtue of subsection (3) are the same as those of the tenancy that it replaces, except that the terms are confined to those which are compatible with a tenancy for a fixed term of 5 years.
(5)Where a demoted tenancy comes to an end and a new tenancy arises by virtue of subsection (3), as from that time the demotion order is to be treated for all purposes as it had been made in relation to the new tenancy (and the demotion period remains the same).”