Rule13a-14(d)/15d-14(d) Certifications.

 

I,Leland F. Bunch, III, certify that:

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| 1.     | I have reviewed this report  on Form 10-K and all reports on Form 10-D required to be filed in respect of the  period covered by this report on Form 10-K of the Morgan Stanley Bank of  America Merrill Lynch Trust 2016-C31 (the "Exchange Act periodic  reports");                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
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| 2.     | Based on my knowledge, the Exchange  Act periodic reports, taken as a whole, do not contain any untrue statement  of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the  statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements  were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
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| 3.     | Based on my knowledge, all  of the distribution, servicing and other information required to be provided  under Form 10-D for the period covered by this report is included in the  Exchange Act periodic reports;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
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| 4.     | Based on my knowledge and  the servicer compliance statements required in this report under Item 1123 of  Regulation AB, and except as disclosed in the Exchange Act periodic reports, the  servicers have fulfilled their obligations under the servicing agreements in  all material respects; and                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
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| 5.     | All of the reports on  assessment of compliance with servicing criteria for asset-backed securities  and their related attestation reports on assessment of compliance with  servicing criteria for asset-backed securities required to be included in  this report in accordance with Item 1122 of Regulation AB and Exchange Act  Rules 13a-18 and 15d-18 have been included as an exhibit to this report,  except as otherwise disclosed in this report. Any material instances of  noncompliance described in such reports have been disclosed in this report on  Form 10-K. |
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In givingthe certifications above, I have reasonably relied on information provided tome by the following unaffiliated parties:Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Master Servicer, Rialto CapitalAdvisors, LLC, as Special Servicer, Wilmington Trust, National Association, asTrustee, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Certificate Administrator,Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Custodian, Park Bridge LenderServices LLC, as Operating Advisor, CoreLogic Commercial Real Estate Services,Inc., as Servicing Function Participant, National Tax Search, LLC, as ServicingFunction Participant, KeyBank National Association, as Primary Servicer, WellsFargo Bank, National Association, as Primary Servicer for the TEK Park MortgageLoan, Rialto Capital Advisors, LLC, as Special Servicer for the TEK ParkMortgage Loan, Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee for the TEKPark Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as CertificateAdministrator for the TEK Park Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank, NationalAssociation, as Custodian for the TEK Park Mortgage Loan, Park Bridge LenderServices LLC, as Operating Advisor for the TEK Park Mortgage Loan, CoreLogicCommercial Real Estate Services, Inc., as Servicing Function Participant forthe TEK Park Mortgage Loan, National Tax Search, LLC, as Servicing FunctionParticipant for the TEK Park Mortgage Loan, KeyBank National Association, asPrimary Servicer for The Shops at Crystals Mortgage Loan, AEGON USA RealtyAdvisors, LLC, as Special Servicer for The Shops at Crystals Mortgage Loan,Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Trustee and CertificateAdministrator for The Shops at Crystals Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank,National Association, as Custodian for The Shops at Crystals Mortgage Loan,Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Primary Servicer for theInternational Square Mortgage Loan, AEGON USA Realty Advisors, LLC, as SpecialServicer for the International Square Mortgage Loan, Wilmington Trust, NationalAssociation, as Trustee for the International Square Mortgage Loan, Wells FargoBank, National Association, as Certificate Administrator for the InternationalSquare Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Custodian forthe International Square Mortgage Loan, CoreLogic Commercial Real EstateServices, Inc., as Servicing Function Participant for the International SquareMortgage Loan, National Tax Search, LLC, as Servicing Function Participant forthe International Square Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association,as Primary Servicer for the Simon Premium Outlets Mortgage Loan, Rialto CapitalAdvisors, LLC, as Special Servicer for the Simon Premium Outlets Mortgage Loan,Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee for the Simon Premium OutletsMortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as CertificateAdministrator for the Simon Premium Outlets Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank,National Association, as Custodian for the Simon Premium Outlets Mortgage Loan,Park Bridge Lender Services LLC, as Operating Advisor for the Simon PremiumOutlets Mortgage Loan, CoreLogic Commercial Real Estate Services, Inc., asServicing Function Participant for the Simon Premium Outlets Mortgage Loan,National Tax Search, LLC, as Servicing Function Participant for the SimonPremium Outlets Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, asPrimary Servicer for the One Stamford Forum Mortgage Loan, Rialto CapitalAdvisors, LLC, as Special Servicer for the One Stamford Forum Mortgage Loan,Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee for the One Stamford ForumMortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as CertificateAdministrator for the One Stamford Forum Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank,National Association, as Custodian for the One Stamford Forum Mortgage Loan,Park Bridge Lender Services LLC, as Operating Advisor for the One StamfordForum Mortgage Loan, CoreLogic Commercial Real Estate Services, Inc., asServicing Function Participant for the One Stamford Forum Mortgage Loan, NationalTax Search, LLC, as Servicing Function Participant for the One Stamford ForumMortgage Loan, Midland Loan Services, a Division of PNC Bank, NationalAssociation, as Primary Servicer for the SSTII Self Storage Portfolio MortgageLoan, CWCapital Asset Management LLC, as Special Servicer for the SSTII SelfStorage Portfolio Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, asTrustee and Certificate Administrator for the SSTII Self Storage PortfolioMortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Custodian for theSSTII Self Storage Portfolio Mortgage Loan, Park Bridge Lender Services LLC, asOperating Advisor for the SSTII Self Storage Portfolio Mortgage Loan, WellsFargo Bank, National Association, as Primary Servicer for the Harlem USA MortgageLoan, C-III Asset Management LLC, as Special Servicer for the Harlem USAMortgage Loan, Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee for theHarlem USA Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, asCertificate Administrator for the Harlem USA Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank,National Association, as Custodian for the Harlem USA Mortgage Loan, ParkBridge Lender Services LLC, as Operating Advisor for the Harlem USA MortgageLoan, CoreLogic Commercial Real Estate Services, Inc., as Servicing FunctionParticipant for the Harlem USA Mortgage Loan, National Tax Search, LLC, asServicing Function Participant for the Harlem USA Mortgage Loan, Wells FargoBank, National Association, as Primary Servicer for the Coconut Point MortgageLoan, Rialto Capital Advisors, LLC, as Special Servicer for the Coconut PointMortgage Loan, Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee for theCoconut Point Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, asCertificate Administrator for the Coconut Point Mortgage Loan, Wells FargoBank, National Association, as Custodian for the Coconut Point Mortgage Loan,Park Bridge Lender Services LLC, as Operating Advisor for the Coconut PointMortgage Loan, CoreLogic Commercial Real Estate Services, Inc., as ServicingFunction Participant for the Coconut Point Mortgage Loan, National Tax Search,LLC, as Servicing Function Participant for the Coconut Point Mortgage Loan,Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Primary Servicer for the MYPortfolio Mortgage Loan, Torchlight Loan Services, LLC, as Special Servicer forthe MY Portfolio Mortgage Loan, Wilmington Trust, National Association, asTrustee for the MY Portfolio Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank, NationalAssociation, as Certificate Administrator for the MY Portfolio Mortgage Loan,Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Custodian for the MY PortfolioMortgage Loan, Park Bridge Lender Services LLC, as Operating Advisor for the MYPortfolio Mortgage Loan, CoreLogic Commercial Real Estate Services, Inc., asServicing Function Participant for the MY Portfolio Mortgage Loan, and NationalTax Search, LLC, as Servicing Function Participant for the MY PortfolioMortgage Loan.

 

Dated: March 27, 2017

 

/s/ Leland F. Bunch, IIISignature 

Chief Executive Officer andPresident

(senior officer in charge ofsecuritization of the depositor)