EX-31 Rule
13a-14(d)/15d-14(d) Certifications.





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



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");



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;



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



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



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.



In giving the
certifications above, I have reasonably relied on information provided to me by
the following unaffiliated parties:



Wells Fargo Bank,
National Association, as Master Servicer, Rialto Capital Advisors, LLC, as
Special Servicer, Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee, Wells
Fargo Bank, National Association, as Certificate Administrator, Wells Fargo
Bank, National Association, as Custodian, Park Bridge Lender Services LLC, as
Operating Advisor, CoreLogic Commercial Real Estate Services, Inc., as
Servicing Function Participant, National Tax Search, LLC, as Servicing Function
Participant, KeyBank National Association, as Primary Servicer, Wells Fargo
Bank, National Association, as Primary Servicer for the TEK Park Mortgage Loan,
Rialto Capital Advisors, LLC, as Special Servicer for the TEK Park Mortgage
Loan, Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee for the TEK Park
Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Certificate Administrator
for the TEK Park Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as
Custodian for the TEK Park Mortgage Loan, Park Bridge Lender Services LLC, as
Operating Advisor for the TEK Park Mortgage Loan, CoreLogic Commercial Real
Estate Services, Inc., as Servicing Function Participant for the TEK Park
Mortgage Loan, National Tax Search, LLC, as Servicing Function Participant for
the TEK Park Mortgage Loan, KeyBank National Association, as Primary Servicer
for The Shops at Crystals Mortgage Loan, AEGON USA Realty Advisors, LLC, as
Special Servicer for The Shops at Crystals Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank,
National Association, as Trustee and Certificate Administrator 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 the International Square Mortgage Loan,
AEGON USA Realty Advisors, LLC, as Special Servicer for the International
Square Mortgage Loan, Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee for
the International Square Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association,
as Certificate Administrator for the International Square Mortgage Loan, Wells
Fargo Bank, National Association, as Custodian for the International Square
Mortgage Loan, CoreLogic Commercial Real Estate Services, Inc., as Servicing
Function Participant for the International Square Mortgage Loan, National Tax
Search, LLC, as Servicing Function Participant for the International Square
Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Primary Servicer for
the Simon Premium Outlets Mortgage Loan, Rialto Capital Advisors, LLC, as
Special Servicer for the Simon Premium Outlets Mortgage Loan, Wilmington Trust,
National Association, as Trustee for the Simon Premium Outlets Mortgage Loan,
Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Certificate Administrator 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 Premium Outlets Mortgage Loan,
CoreLogic Commercial Real Estate Services, Inc., as Servicing Function
Participant for the Simon Premium Outlets Mortgage Loan, National Tax Search,
LLC, as Servicing Function Participant for the Simon Premium Outlets Mortgage
Loan, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Primary Servicer for the One
Stamford Forum Mortgage Loan, Rialto Capital Advisors, LLC, as Special Servicer
for the One Stamford Forum Mortgage Loan, Wilmington Trust, National
Association, as Trustee for the One Stamford Forum Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo
Bank, National Association, as Certificate Administrator 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 Stamford Forum Mortgage Loan, CoreLogic
Commercial Real Estate Services, Inc., as Servicing Function Participant for the
One Stamford Forum Mortgage Loan, National Tax Search, LLC, as Servicing
Function Participant for the One Stamford Forum Mortgage Loan, Midland Loan
Services, a Division of PNC Bank, National Association, as Primary Servicer for
the SSTII Self Storage Portfolio Mortgage Loan, CWCapital Asset Management LLC,
as Special Servicer for the SSTII Self Storage Portfolio Mortgage Loan, Wells
Fargo Bank, National Association, as Trustee and Certificate Administrator for
the SSTII Self Storage Portfolio Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank, National
Association, as Custodian for the SSTII Self Storage Portfolio Mortgage Loan,
Park Bridge Lender Services LLC, as Operating Advisor for the SSTII Self
Storage Portfolio Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as
Primary Servicer for the Harlem USA Mortgage Loan, C-III Asset Management LLC,
as Special Servicer for the Harlem USA Mortgage Loan, Wilmington Trust,
National Association, as Trustee for the Harlem USA Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo
Bank, National Association, as Certificate Administrator for the Harlem USA
Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Custodian for the
Harlem USA Mortgage Loan, Park Bridge Lender Services LLC, as Operating Advisor
for the Harlem USA Mortgage Loan, CoreLogic Commercial Real Estate Services,
Inc., as Servicing Function Participant for the Harlem USA Mortgage Loan,
National Tax Search, LLC, as Servicing Function Participant for the Harlem USA
Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Primary Servicer for
the Coconut Point Mortgage Loan, Rialto Capital Advisors, LLC, as Special
Servicer for the Coconut Point Mortgage Loan, Wilmington Trust, National
Association, as Trustee for the Coconut Point Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank,
National Association, as Certificate Administrator for the Coconut Point
Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Custodian for the
Coconut Point Mortgage Loan, Park Bridge Lender Services LLC, as Operating
Advisor for the Coconut Point Mortgage Loan, CoreLogic Commercial Real Estate
Services, Inc., as Servicing Function 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 MY Portfolio Mortgage Loan, Torchlight Loan Services,
LLC, as Special Servicer for the MY Portfolio Mortgage Loan, Wilmington Trust,
National Association, as Trustee for the MY Portfolio Mortgage Loan, Wells
Fargo Bank, National Association, as Certificate Administrator for the MY
Portfolio Mortgage Loan, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Custodian
for the MY Portfolio Mortgage Loan, Park Bridge Lender Services LLC, as
Operating Advisor for the MY Portfolio Mortgage Loan, CoreLogic Commercial Real
Estate Services, Inc., as Servicing Function Participant for the MY Portfolio
Mortgage Loan, and National Tax Search, LLC, as Servicing Function Participant
for the MY Portfolio Mortgage Loan.







Dated: March 20, 2019





/s/ Leland F. Bunch,
III





President and Chief
Executive Officer

(senior
officer in charge of securitization of the depositor)