This section inserts new section 16M (Duties of landlords etc, penalties and offences: interpretation) into the Housing Act 1988 to provide essential definitions for terminology used in sections 16D to 16L and Schedule 2ZA. These relate to assured tenancies in England, such as "relevant person", "the restricted period" and "purported notice of possession".
	Subsection 16M(4) defines "the restricted period". This is the total period during which letting and marketing is prohibited following reliance on the moving and selling possession grounds (ground 1 or 1A). This period generally starts when notice is served either via a section 8 notice or a purported notice of possession and ends twelve months after the date specified in the notice or purported notice as the earliest date on which possession proceedings will begin. For a case where a relevant person is relying on grounds 1 or 1A in a claim form where no notice is given, the "restricted period" period is twelve months beginning with the date when the claim form was filed with the court for the purposes of bringing possession proceedings. Subsections 16M(5) to (6) provide for the effect on the restricted period when a notice specifies ground 7A or 14 as well as either ground 1 or 1A, or a purported notice of possession either specifies no date or an invalid date for when possession proceedings will begin. When the court makes an order of possession on another ground other than 1 or 1A before the end of an ongoing restricted period, new subsection 16M(7) also provides that the restricted period ends on the day that order is made.
Part 1: Tenancy reform Chapter 1: Assured Tenancies Section 17: Duties of landlords etc, penalties and offences: interpretation Effect