Innkeepers Act 1970

Innkeepers Act 1970

2020 REVISED EDITION

This revised edition incorporates all amendments up to and including 1 December 2021 and comes into operation on 31 December 2021

An Act to limit the liability of innkeepers and to provide for their further relief.

[1 March 1971]

Short title

1.  This Act is the Innkeepers Act 1970.

PART 1

LIMITATION OF INNKEEPERS’ LIABILITY

Interpretation

2.  In this Part —

“inn” means any hotel, tavern, public house, restaurant or other place of refreshment, the keeper of which is now by law responsible for the goods and property of his guests;

“innkeeper” means the keeper of any such place, and includes a company or corporation;

“manager” means the agent or servant of the innkeeper for the time being in charge of the inn or any person duly appointed by the innkeeper to receive the goods of his guests for safe custody.

Limitation of innkeepers’ liability

3.—(1)  No innkeeper shall be liable to make good to his guest any loss of or injury to goods or property brought to his inn, not being a horse or other live animal, or any gear appertaining thereto or any car or carriage, to a greater amount than the sum of $500, except —

(a) where the goods or property have been stolen, lost or injured through the wilful act, default or neglect of the innkeeper or any servant in his employ; or

(b) where the goods or property have been deposited expressly for safe custody with the innkeeper or his manager.

(2)  In the case of any such deposit it shall be lawful for the innkeeper or his manager, if he thinks fit, to require, as a condition of his liability —

(a) that the guest shall at the time of such deposit declare the value of the goods or property; and

(b) that the goods or property shall be deposited in a box or other receptacle, fastened and sealed by the person depositing the same.

(3)  An innkeeper or his manager may refuse to receive for safe custody under this section goods or property of any one guest the declared value of which exceeds $5,000, and shall in no case be liable for loss of or injury to goods or property so deposited by a guest to an amount exceeding the declared value thereof.

Refusal to accept property for safe custody

4.  If any innkeeper or his manager refuses to receive for safe custody, as before mentioned, any goods or property of his guest the declared value of which does not exceed $5,000, or if any such guest is unable, through any default of the innkeeper or manager, to deposit the goods or property as aforesaid, the innkeeper shall not be entitled to the benefit of this Part in respect of the goods or property.

Copy of section 3 to be exhibited

5.  Every innkeeper shall cause at least one copy of section 3 printed in plain type in English to be exhibited in a conspicuous part of the hall or entrance to his inn, and he shall be entitled to the benefit of this Part in respect of the goods or property only as are brought to his inn while such copy is so exhibited.

PART 2

INNKEEPERS’ RIGHT TO SELL GOODS

Interpretation

6.  In this Part —

“inn” means any hotel, tavern or public house;

“innkeeper” means the keeper of any such place, and includes a company or corporation;

“goods” includes any vehicle.

Power of sale of goods deposited with innkeeper

7.  An innkeeper shall, in addition to his ordinary lien, have the right absolutely to sell by public auction any goods which may have been deposited with him or left in the inn he keeps or in any garage, car park or other premises appurtenant thereto where the person depositing or leaving the goods is or becomes indebted to the innkeeper for any board or lodging:

Provided that —

(a) no sale shall be made until after the goods have been for the space of 6 weeks in his charge or custody or in or upon those premises without the debt having been paid or satisfied;

(b) the innkeeper, after having out of the proceeds of that sale paid himself the amount of any such debt, together with the costs and expenses of the sale, shall on demand pay to the person depositing or leaving the goods the surplus (if any) remaining after the sale;

(c) the debt for the payment of which a sale is made shall not be any other or greater debt than the debt for which the goods could have been retained by the innkeeper under his lien;

(d) at least one month before any such sale the innkeeper shall cause to be inserted in a newspaper circulating in Singapore an advertisement containing notice of the intended sale, and giving shortly a description of the goods intended to be sold, together with the name of the owner or person who deposited or left them, where known.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

Innkeepers Act 1970

 

This Legislative History is a service provided by the Law Revision Commission on a best-efforts basis. It is not part of the Act.

Pictorial Overview of Predecessor Acts

Legislative History Details

PART 1
INNKEEPERS’ ORDINANCE
(CHAPTER 26, 1955 REVISED EDITION)

1.  

Ordinance 28 of 1951—Innkeepers’ Ordinance, 1951

Bill

:

G.N. No. S 203/1951

First Reading

:

19 June 1951

Second and Third Readings

:

17 July 1951

Commencement

:

26 July 1951

2.  

1955 Revised Edition—Innkeepers’ Ordinance (Chapter 26)

Operation

:

1 July 1956

PART 2
INNKEEPERS’ LIABILITY ORDINANCE
(CHAPTER 27, 1955 REVISED EDITION)

3.  

Ordinance 36 of 1921—Innkeepers Liability Ordinance, 1921

Bill

:

G.N. No. 1694/1921

First Reading

:

1 November 1921

Second Reading

:

22 November 1921

Notice of Amendments

:

22 November 1921

Third Reading

:

19 December 1921

Commencement

:

31 December 1921

4.  

1926 Revised Edition—Ordinance No. 186 (Innkeepers’ Liability)

Operation

:

1 August 1926

5.  

1936 Revised Edition—Innkeepers’ Liability Ordinance (Chapter 58)

Operation

:

1 September 1936

6.  

1955 Revised Edition—Innkeepers’ Liability Ordinance (Chapter 27)

Operation

:

1 July 1956

PART 3
INNKEEPERS ACT 1970
(2020 REVISED EDITION)

7.  

1970 Revised Edition—Innkeepers Act (Chapter 36)

Operation

:

1 March 1971

Note:

This Revised Edition consolidated the Innkeepers’ Ordinance (Chapter 26, 1955 Revised Edition) and the Innkeepers’ Liability Ordinance (Chapter 27, 1955 Revised Edition).

8.  

1985 Revised Edition—Innkeepers Act (Chapter 139)

Operation

:

30 March 1987

9.  

2020 Revised Edition—Innkeepers Act 1970

Operation

:

31 December 2021

Abbreviations

	(updated on 29 August 2022)
G.N.	Gazette Notification
G.N. Sp.	Gazette Notification (Special Supplement)
L.A.	Legislative Assembly
L.N.	Legal Notification (Federal/Malaysian)
M.	Malaya/Malaysia (including Federated Malay States, Malayan Union, Federation of Malaya and Federation of Malaysia)
Parl.	Parliament
S	Subsidiary Legislation
S.I.	Statutory Instrument (United Kingdom)
S (N.S.)	Subsidiary Legislation (New Series)
S.S.G.G.	Straits Settlements Government Gazette
S.S.G.G. (E)	Straits Settlements Government Gazette (Extraordinary)