Basnayake v. Edirisinghe – sllr 1989 volume 1 page 195

In BASNAYAKE v. EDIRISINGHE, the court considered whether a tenant’s payment of only the specific arrears stated in a landlord’s notice of termination—rather than all arrears up to the termination period under section 22(3)(c) of the Rent Act No. 7 of 1972—complied with statutory requirements to avoid ejectment. The tenant had paid arrears up to the date of the notice but not for the entire period demanded. The court determined that the tenant’s payment did not constitute “all arrears of rent” as required by statute, and held that the appeal should be dismissed. This decision clarified the interpretation of section 22(3)(c) of the Rent Act, emphasizing the necessity for tenants to tender the full period’s rent arrears specified in the notice of termination.

Ranasinghe C.J. — It was estab