{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/rent-act-1977/section-12",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/rent-act-1977/section-12.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1977/42",
  "legislation_title": "Rent Act 1977",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/rent-act-1977",
  "path": "section/12",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "12",
  "heading": "Resident landlords.",
  "text": "(1) Subject to subsection (2) below, a tenancy of a dwelling-house granted on or after 14th August 1974 shall not be a protected tenancy at any time if—\n(a) the dwelling-house forms part only of a building and, except in a case where the dwelling-house also forms part of a flat, the building is not a purpose-built block of flats, and\n(b) the tenancy was granted by a person who, at the time when he granted it, occupied as his residence another dwelling-house which—\n(i) in the case mentioned in paragraph (a) above, also forms part of the flat; or\n(ii) in any other case, also forms part of the building; and\n(c) subject to paragraph 1 of Schedule 2 to this Act, at all times since the tenancy was granted the interest of the landlord under the tenancy has belonged to a person who, at the time he owned that interest, occupied as his residence another dwelling-house which—\n(i) in the case mentioned in paragraph (a) above, also formed part of the flat; or\n(ii) in any other case, also formed part of the building.\n(2) This section does not apply to a tenancy of a dwelling-house which forms part of a building if the tenancy is granted to a person who, immediately before it was granted, was a protected or statutory tenant of that dwelling-house or of any other dwelling-house in that building.\n(3) For the purposes of subsection (2) above, a tenancy shall be treated as being for a term of years certain notwithstanding that it is liable to determination by re-entry or on the happening of any event other than the giving of notice by the landlord to determine the term.\n(4) Schedule 2 to this Act shall have effect for the purpose of supplementing this section.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 12(1)(a)–(c) substituted by Housing Act 1980 (c. 51, SIF 61), s. 65(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 12(2) substituted for s. 12(2)(3) with saving by Housing Act 1980 (c. 51, SIF 61), s. 69(4), Sch. 25 Pt. II para. 67"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1977/42/section/12",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:24:12.956086+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}