New South Wales Consolidated Acts

CONVEYANCING ACT 1919 - SECT 129

129 Restrictions on and relief against forfeiture of lease

(1) A right of re-entry or forfeiture under any proviso or stipulation in a lease, for a breach of any covenant, condition, or agreement (express or implied) in the lease, shall not be enforceable by action or otherwise unless and until the lessor serves on the lessee a notice--

(a) specifying the particular breach complained of, and

(b) if the breach is capable of remedy, requiring the lessee to remedy the breach, and

(c) in case the lessor claims compensation in money for the breach, requiring the lessee to pay the same,

and the lessee fails within a reasonable time thereafter to remedy the breach, if it is capable of remedy, and where compensation in money is required to pay reasonable compensation to the satisfaction of the lessor for the breach.

(2) Where a lessor is proceeding by action or otherwise to enforce such a right of re-entry or forfeiture, or has re-entered without action the lessee may personally bring a suit and apply to the Court for relief; and the Court, having regard to the proceedings and conduct of the parties under the foregoing provisions of this section, and to all the other circumstances, may grant or refuse relief, as it thinks fit; and in case of relief may grant the same on such terms (if any) as to costs, expenses, damages, compensation, penalty or otherwise, including the granting of an injunction to restrain any like breach in the future, as the Court in the circumstances of each case thinks fit.

(2A) If such right of re-entry or forfeiture arises under a lease for a term of ten years or upwards by reason of a breach of a covenant by the lessee that the lessee will not make alterations in the demised premises without the consent of the lessor, and if it shall be proved to the satisfaction of the Court that the alterations made or proposed to be made have been or may be made without substantial injury to the lessor the Court may grant relief on such terms as the Court may think proper.

(3) The provisions of subsection (1) shall not extend to a covenant or condition or agreement against doing, committing, or suffering anything whereby or by means whereof either alone or with other circumstances any licence under the Liquor Act 2007 is or may be endangered, or is or may be liable to lapse or be suspended, cancelled or refused.

(4) This section applies although the proviso or stipulation under which the right of re-entry or forfeiture accrues is inserted in the lease in pursuance of the directions of any Act of Parliament.

(5) For the purposes of this section a lease limited to continue as long only as the lessee abstains from committing a breach of covenant shall be and take effect as a lease to continue for any longer term for which it could subsist, but determinable by a proviso for re-entry on such a breach.

(6) This section does not extend--

(a) to any Crown lease or to any lease granted by an owner under section 69 of the Mining Act 1906 , or to any lease or tenancy for a term of one year or less, or

(b) to a covenant, condition, or agreement against the assigning, under-letting, parting with the possession or disposing of the land leased where the breach occurred before the commencement of the Conveyancing (Amendment) Act 1930 , or

(c) to a condition for forfeiture on the taking in execution of the lessee's interest in any lease of--

(i) agricultural or pastoral land,

(ii) mines or minerals,

(iii) a house used or intended to be used as licensed premises under the Liquor Act 2007 ,

(iv) a house let as a dwelling-house, with the use of any furniture, books, works of art, or other chattels not being in the nature of fixtures,

(v) any property with respect to which the personal qualifications of the tenant are of importance for the preservation of the value or character of the property, or on the ground of neighbourhood to the lessor or to any person holding under the lessor,

(d) in case of a mining lease to a covenant, condition, or agreement for allowing the lessor to have access to or inspect books, accounts, records, weighing-machines, or other things, or to enter or inspect the mine or the workings thereof,

(e) to a condition for forfeiture on the taking in execution of the lessee's interest in any lease (other than a lease mentioned in paragraph (c)) after the expiration of one year from the date of the taking in execution, provided the lessee's interest be not sold within such one year: But if the lessee's interest be sold within such one year this section shall extend and be applicable to such condition for forfeiture.

(8) This section shall not affect the law relating to re-entry or forfeiture or relief in case of non-payment of rent.

(9) The notice mentioned in this section shall be in the form set out in the Sixth Schedule or to a similar effect.

(10) This section applies to leases made either before or after the commencement of this Act, and shall have effect notwithstanding any stipulation to the contrary.