19U. Request for information or documents

For the purpose of determining whether a tenant of a prescribed property is a PTO or making an application under section 19M in respect of the PTO, a landlord (including the owner) of the property in the PTO chain may, by written notice to a tenant, require the tenant to provide, within a prescribed time, any prescribed information or document.

Except where the tenant is under a statutory obligation to observe secrecy in relation to the information or the contents of the document sought, the tenant must comply with the notice mentioned in subsection (1).

A tenant who, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with subsection (2) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000.

It is not a defence to a charge under subsection (1) for a tenant’s failure to provide any prescribed information or document sought by the tenant’s landlord under subsection (1), that the tenant is under a duty of secrecy (other than a statutory duty of secrecy) in respect of the information or the contents of that document.

A tenant who in good faith complies with the notice mentioned in subsection (1) is treated as not being in breach of that duty of secrecy despite any law or the terms of any contract.