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Title: Civil Code CH
Category: Ministry of Justice(法務部)
Part Ⅱ Obligations
Chapter II Particular Kinds Of Obligations
Section 5 - Lease
Article 421
A lease is a contract whereby the parties agree that one of them shall let the other party use a thing or collect profits therefrom and the latter shall pay a rental for it.
The rental specified in the preceding paragraph may consist of money or of profits of the thing leased.
Article 422
A lease of real property for a period exceeding one year shall be executed in writing. If it is not so executed in writing, it is deemed to have been made for an indefinite period.
Article 422-1
Leasing a land (station) for building a house, a lessee may demand a lessor to register superficies after a contract constituted.
Article 423
The lessor shall be bound to deliver to the lessee the thing leased in a condition fit for the stipulated use or for the collection of profits as agreed upon. He shall be also liable to keep it up in such a condition as to be fit for such use or collection of profits during the continuance of the lease.
Article 424
In the case of a lease of a house or other place intended for habitation, if the defect is such as to endanger the health or safety of the lessee or of the persons living with him, the lessee may terminate the contract, although he knew of the defects at the time of the contract or has waived his right of terminating the contract.
Article 425
A lease continues to exist to the transferee notwithstanding the lessor transfers the ownership of the thing leased to a third party after the lessor delivered the thing leased and the lessee has possessed such thing.
The provisions of preceding paragraph shall not apply to a lease of real property without notarizing, the period exceeding five years or an indefinite period.
Article 425-1
The land and the house on such land belong to one person, he transfers only the ownership of land of the house to the other, or transfers the ownership of land and house simultaneously or in sequence to the different persons, the lease is presumed to be constituted between the transferee of the land or of the house and the person of transferor, or between the transferee of the house and of the land in the duration of the use of the house. The limitation of the period in the first paragraph of Article 449 shall not be applied.
In the case specified in the preceding paragraph, if the parties cannot reach an agreement, they may apply to the court to judge.
Article 426
The provisions of article 425 shall be mutatis mutandis applied, when the lessor creates the thing leased with a right in rem, which prevents the lessee from using and collecting the profits of the thing leased.
Article 426-1
Leasing a land (station) for building a house, when the lessee transfers the ownership of the house, the lease of land (station) continues to exist to the transferee of house.
Article 426-2
Leasing a land (station) for building a house, if the lessor sells the station, the lessee is entitled to have a first right to buy it according to the same condition. If the lessee sells the house, the owner of the land (station) is entitled to have a first right to buy it according to the same condition.
In the case specified in the paragraph, the seller shall notify the conditions of sale in writing to the person who has a first right to buy it. The person who has a first right to buy it is deemed to give up his right, if he doesn't express his intent to buy it with in ten days after the notice arrived.
If the seller doesn't notify the person who has a first right to buy it and registers the ownership of transferring, he shall not against the person who has a first right to buy it.
Article 427
All charges and taxes on the thing leased shall be borne by the lessor.
Article 428
If the thing leased is an animal, the lessee shall bear the cost of provender.
Article 429
Unless otherwise provided by the contract or customs, the lessor shall make all repairs to the thing leased.
The lessee shall not refuse the lessor to do such actions as are necessary for the maintenance of the thing leased.
Article 430
If, for the duration of the lease, the thing leased is necessary for repairing incumbent on the lessor, the lessee may fix a reasonable deadline and notify the lessor to make such repairs. If the lessor fails to make such repairs within the deadline, the lessee may terminate the contract or make the repairs himself with demanding the lessor to return for any expenses incurred therefrom or deducting the said expenses from the rental.
Article 431
If the lessee incurs any beneficial outlays for the thing leased, whereby its value is increased, and if the lessor knows of the circumstances but fails to express a contrary intent, he shall return such expenses to the lessee, upon the termination of the contract, expenses in so far as the value of the thing has been presently increased thereby.
The lessee may remove all the attachments affixed to the thing leased, unless he shall restore the thing leased to its status quo ante.
Article 432
The lessee shall be bound to keep and manage the thing leased with the care of a good administrator. If the thing leased possesses productivity, he shall also be bound to maintain such productivity.
If the lessee violates the duty under the provisions of the preceding paragraph, whereby damage or destruction has been caused to the thing leased, he is bound to compensate for the injury arising therefrom. However, he is not responsible for any damage or change caused to the thing leased through the use of the thing, or through the collection of profits therefrom, in the ways as agreed upon or in the ways as are in accordance with the nature of the thing.
Article 433
The lessee is bound to compensate for damage or destruction to the thing leased, which has been brought about by circumstances for which the persons living with him or any third party, whom he permits to use the thing leased or to collect profits therefrom, shall be responsible to compensate for the injury.
Article 434
If, owing to gross negligence of the lessee, damage or destruction is caused by fire to the thing leased, the lessee is bound to compensate the lessor for such injury.
Article 435
If, in consequence of circumstances for which the lessee is not responsible, the thing leased is partially destroyed for the duration of the lease, the lessee may claim for a reduction of rental proportionate to the part destroyed.
In the case specified in the preceding paragraph, if the lessee cannot with the remaining part accomplish the purpose of the lease, he may terminate it.
Article 436
The provisions of the preceding article shall be mutatis mutandis applied, when the lessee cannot use the thing leased or collect profits therefrom in the agreed use of, whereby a third party claims rights to the thing leased.
Article 437
For the duration of the lease, if the thing leased is necessary for repairing incumbent upon the lessor, or if an equipment becomes necessary for avoiding a danger to the thing, or if a third party claims a right over it, the lessee shall immediately notify the lessor of the occurrence, except the lessor already knew of it.
If the lessee delays giving such notice, and where the lessor owing to the delay could not afford remedy in time, the lessee shall be bound to compensate the lessor for any injury arising therefrom.
Article 438
The lessee shall use the thing leased or collect profits therefrom only in the ways as are agreed upon, or, in the absence of such agreement, only in the ways as are in accordance with the nature of the thing leased.
If the lessee uses the thing leased or collects profits therefrom in a way against the provisions of the preceding paragraph, and if he continues to so use it notwithstanding a remonstrance of the lessor, the latter may terminate the contract.
Article 439
The lessee shall pay the rental at the agreed date and in the absence of such agreed date, according to customs; and in the absence of such agreement or customs, the rental shall be paid at the termination of the lease. If the rental is paid periodically, it shall be paid upon the end of each of the periods. If there is a season for the collection of profits from the thing leased, the rental shall be paid at the end of such season.
Article 440
If the lessee delays paying the rental, the lessor may fix a reasonable deadline and notify him to pay. If the lessee does not pay within such deadline, the lessor may terminate the lease.
If the thing leased is a house, the lease cannot be terminated so long as the total rental in arrears does not correspond to two months, the provisions of the preceding paragraph shall not be applied. The rental is agreed to pay at the commence of the period, the lessor may terminate the lease only as the rental delays paying more than two months.
Leasing for building a house of a land (station), as the total rental in arrears corresponds to two years, the provisions of preceding paragraph shall be applied.
Article 441
The lessee shall not be released from his obligation to pay his rental by the fact that he is prevented from using the thing leased or from collecting profits therefrom, either wholly or partially, through a cause brought about by himself.
Article 442
In case the thing leased is a real property, either party may apply to the court for an increase or reduction of its rental in proportion to the fluctuation of its value, unless the lease in made for a definite period.
Article 443
The lessee shall not sublet the thing leased to another person without the consent of the lessor. But if the thing leased is a house, the lessee may sublet a part of it to another person, unless otherwise agreed upon a contrary intention.
If the lessee sublets the thing leased to another person against the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the lessor may terminate the lease.
Article 444
If the lessee sublets the thing leased to another person in conformity with the provisions of the preceding article, the lease is still continuous between the lessor and the lessee.
The lessee is bound to compensate for injury arising from circumstances for which the sublessee shall be responsible.
Article 445
The lessor of a real property has for his claim of prestations arising from the lease a right of retention over the movables belonging to the lessee and placed in the real property, thing except those movables which cannot be seized in execution.
In the case of the preceding paragraph, the lessor may compensate himself out of the thing retained only to the extent of those injury he is already entitled to claim for, together with the rental for the present term and for the unpaid past terms.
Article 446
The lessor's right of retention as specified in the preceding article is extinguished by the removal of the things to which it applies by the lessee, unless the removal has taken place without the lessor's knowledge or he has objected to such removal.
If the removal takes place in the performance of the business or in ordinary course of life of the lessee, or if the things remaining on the premises are sufficient to secure the payment of the rental, the lessor shall not object to the removal.
Article 447
The lessor may, even without application to the court, prevent the removal of the things subject to his right of retention, in so far as he is entitled to object to the removal. If the lessee is away from the real property leased, the lessor is entitled to take possession of the things subject to the right of retention.
If the said things have been removed without the knowledge of or in spite of the objection of the lessor, the lessor may terminate the lease.
Article 448
The lessee may release the right of retention to exercise by the lessor by furnishing security. He is also entitled to extinguish the right of retention against any individual by furnishing security to the extent proportionate of the value of the thing.
Article 449
The period of a lease shall not exceed twenty years. If a period longer than twenty years, such period is to be reduced to twenty years.
The period specified in the preceding paragraph may be renewed by the parties.
Leasing a land (station) for building a house, the provisions of the first paragraph shall not be applied.
Article 450
When the lease is made for a definite period, the lease terminates at the end of such period.
If no such period has been specified for the termination of the lease, each party may terminate it at any time. However, if customs is in favor of the lessee, such customs shall be followed.
To terminate a lease as specified in the preceding paragraph a notice shall be given in advance according to customs, but if the rental of a real property is payable weekly, fortnightly or monthly, termination is effective only at the end of the calendar week, or fortnight, or month, and a notice shall be given at least one week or fortnight or month in advance.
Article 451
If, after the end of the lease, the lessee still continues to use the thing leased or to collect profits therefrom, and the lessor does not immediately express his intent to the contrary, the lease is deemed to be continued for an indefinite period.
Article 452
If the lessee died, his successor may terminate the lease by giving notice in advance according to the provisions of the third paragraph of Article 450, even if the lease was made for a definite period of date.
Article 453
If the lease is made for a definite period and if it is agreed that one of the parties may terminate the lease before its end, a notice of such termination shall be given in advance according to the provisions of the third paragraph of Article 450.
Article 454
If the lease is terminated according to the provisions of the two preceding articles, the lessor shall return the rental which he has received in advance for those terms falling due after such termination.
Article 455
The lessee shall, at the end of the lease, return the thing leased. If the thing leased possesses productivity, he shall return to the lessor and maintain the thing in a state of normal productivity.
Article 456
Claims by the lessor against the lessee for compensation for injury caused to the thing leased, and claims by the lessee for the return of expenses, and his right for the removal of the work done to the thing leased, are extinguished by prescription if it is not exercised within two years.
The period as specified in the preceding paragraph commences for the lessor from the date when he accepts the return of the thing leased, and for the lessee from the date of the end of the lease.
Article 457
The lessee of an agricultural land may demand for a reduction or release of the rental, if by reason of force majeure, the profits of the thing leased have decreased or totally failed.
The right to demand for a reduction or release of the rental as specified in the preceding paragraph cannot be waived beforehand.
Article 457-1
The lessor of agricultural land cannot receive the rental in advance.
The lessor shall not refuse to receive, if the lessee fails to pay whole of the rental in accordance with the period instead of paying a part of the rental.
Article 458
The lessor of an agricultural land may terminate the lease before the end of the period of the lease in either of the following circumstance,
(1) The lessee died without successors or his successors without cultivation ability.
(2) The lessee has not cultivated for the duration more than one year, it is not by the reason of force majeure.
(3) The lessee sublets the whole or a part of the agricultural land leased to other.
(4) The sum of the rental in arrears corresponds to two years.
(5) The agricultural land has arranged according to the act or changed to be a land not for cultivating.
Article 459
The lease of an agricultural land with an indefinite period, the lessor in addition to restore such land for his own cultivation, may terminate the lease only if in the case specified in each paragraph of preceding article or the lessee acts against the provisions of Article 432, or the provisions of the second paragraph of Article 462.
Article 460
Termination of the lease made by the lessor of an agricultural land, the end of the lease shall be after the season when the crops are reaped, and before the beginning of the next cultivation.
Article 460-1
The lessor of an agricultural land sell or dian the agricultural land, the lessee is entitled to have a first right of priority to buy or dian it according to the same condition.
The provisions of the second and third paragraph of Article 426-1 shall apply mutatis mutandis to preceding paragraph of buying or dianing.
Article 461
If the lessee of an agricultural land has incurred expenses of the cultivation of crops which are not yet to be reaped after the termination of the lease, he may demand the return of such expenses from the lessor, however, provided that his claim shall not exceed the value of such crops.
Article 461-1
The lessee of an agricultural land in addition to maintain the original nature and efficiency of the agricultural land, he may raise the production of the agricultural land or improve a handy cultivation. However, he shall notify the entries of improvement and the sum of expense to the lessor in writing.
The lessee may demand the lessor to return the expense specified in the preceding paragraph, when the lessee return the agricultural land. However, the price is limited to the part which hasn't lost its utility.
Article 462
When agricultural implements, livestock, and other accessories are leased together with an agricultural land, an inventory of the same, showing their individual value at the time of the conclusion of the lease, shall be made in duplicate, and signed by the parties. Each party shall keep a copy of it.
If any of the accessories mentioned in the inventory be destroyed through a circumstance for which the lessee is responsible, the lessee is bound to supply substitutes.
Should it be destroyed through a circumstance for which the lessee is not responsible, the lessor is bound to supply substitutes.
Article 463
The lessee of an agricultural land who has received accessories according to an inventory shall return them to the lessor at the end of the lease. If he fails to do so, he shall compensate for their value according to the said inventory, except it shall be deducted from ordinary wear and tear, resulting from their use.
Article 463-1
The provisions of this section shall apply mutatis mutandis to a lease of a right.