Commercial Leases
The 1954 Act, rent reviews, break clauses, forfeiture and arrears.
Commercial Leases: A Plain-English Landlord Guide
The parts of a commercial lease that matter to a landlord: term, rent and reviews, repairs, break clauses, alienation, use and security of tenure.
FRI vs IRI Leases: Which Protects the Landlord?
FRI vs IRI leases: who repairs what, why the rent differs, the role of a schedule of condition, and which structure protects the landlord.
Lease Renewal Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954
Security of tenure under the 1954 Act: how renewal works, section 25 and 26 notices, the grounds to oppose, compensation, and interim rent.
Contracting Out of the 1954 Act: A Landlord Guide
How to contract out of the 1954 Act: the warning notice, the tenant declaration or statutory declaration, the 14-day timing, and why getting it wrong is costly.
Section 25 Notice: How a Landlord Serves It
The Section 25 notice explained: what it does, the 6 to 12 month timing, friendly vs hostile notices, and why the form and dates must be exact.
Section 26 Notice: Responding as a Landlord
How to respond to a tenant Section 26 notice: the two-month counter-notice deadline, the grounds to oppose, and what happens if you miss it.
Grounds to Oppose a Lease Renewal (Section 30)
The 1954 Act grounds to oppose renewal: redevelopment (f), own occupation (g), tenant-fault grounds, the compensation payable, and proving your intention.
Commercial Rent Reviews: How They Work
Commercial rent reviews: open-market upward-only, index-linked, stepped and turnover rents, where the upward-only ban stands, and how a review is run.
Break Clauses in Commercial Leases
How commercial break clauses work: conditions such as vacant possession and rent paid, the strict service rules, and why a small slip can invalidate a break.
Forfeiture of a Commercial Lease
How forfeiture works: peaceable re-entry for rent, the section 146 notice for other breaches, the waiver trap, and relief from forfeiture.
Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery (CRAR)
How CRAR works: the conditions, the certificated agent, the 14-day Notice of Enforcement from May 2026, and why using CRAR waives your right to forfeit.
Assignment, Subletting and AGAs
How assignment and subletting work, the reasonable-consent rule, and Authorised Guarantee Agreements under the 1995 Act that keep an outgoing tenant liable.
Heads of Terms: What a Commercial Landlord Must Agree
What a commercial landlord should agree in heads of terms: term, break, rent and reviews, repairs, alienation, use, 1954 Act status and service charge.
Licences vs Leases in Commercial Property
Lease vs licence in commercial property: the exclusive-possession test, why substance beats the label, when a licence genuinely fits, and the 1954 Act angle.
Tenancy at Will: Uses and Risks
What a tenancy at will is, its use as a bridge while a lease is negotiated, and the risk of it becoming a protected periodic tenancy if it runs on.
Turnover Rents in Commercial Leases
How turnover rents link rent to a tenant's sales, where they are used, the trade-offs for landlord and tenant, and why the definition of turnover matters.
VAT on Commercial Rents: When Tenants Pay 20%
When a commercial tenant pays VAT on rent: exempt by default, 20% if the landlord has opted to tax, who can recover it, and the lettability angle.