Houses in Multiple Occupation Act (Northern Ireland) 2016

Lettings agency work

6.—(1) “Lettings agency work” means things done by a person in response to instructions received from a prospective landlord or a prospective tenant.

(2) In this paragraph—

(a) “prospective landlord” means a person seeking—

(i) to find another person wishing to occupy shared accommodation under a tenancy or other occupancy arrangement, and

(ii) having found such a person, to enter such an arrangement;

(b) “prospective tenant” means a person seeking—

(i) to find shared accommodation to occupy under a tenancy or other occupancy arrangement, and

(ii) having found such accommodation, to enter such an arrangement in respect of it.

(3) However, lettings agency work does not include any of the following things when done by a person who does no other things falling within sub-paragraph (1)—

(a) publishing advertisements or disseminating information;

(b) providing a means by which a prospective landlord or a prospective tenant can, in response to an advertisement or dissemination of information, make direct contact with a prospective tenant or (as the case may be) prospective landlord;

(c) providing a means by which a prospective landlord and a prospective tenant can continue to communicate directly with each other.

(4) Lettings agency work also does not include things done by a council or by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

(5) In sub-paragraph (2) “shared accommodation” means living accommodation which is (or which is usually or is expected to be) occupied by persons forming more than one household.