<P> A sitting tenant is a tenant already in occupation of premises, especially when there is a change of owner . Sitting tenants can result from a failure to evict an assured shorthold tenant following a change of owner or where there is a protected tenancy . Where a landlord sells a property but fails to evict a tenant the new landlord is said to' step in the shoes' of the old landlord and the terms of the tenancy continue . </P> <P> Upon the death of a sitting tenant, tenancy can pass to another family member . These tenancies were created in the United Kingdom before 15 January 1989 under the Rent Act of 1977 . Sitting tenants are also referred to as protected tenants, regulated tenants and rent act tenants . </P>

When does a tenant become a sitting tenant