Commercial Property

The perils of break clauses for commercial tenants

Posted on: 03/04/2012 - Commercial Property

Break clauses are a good way for businesses to hedge their bets when moving into new premises.

Taking on a long or medium term lease offers them stability if their business thrives, while the break clause gives them the option to pull out after a certain period if things don’t go as well as expected.

Government widens its search for land to build new homes

Posted on: 29/02/2012 - Commercial Property

The Government says it’s ahead of schedule in identifying publicly owned land that can be used to build new homes.

More landlords taking action against tenants in arrears

Posted on: 02/02/2012 - Commercial Litigation   |   Commercial Property

Court orders to evict tenants rose by 11% in 2011 as landlords took a firmer stance against late payers.

Failure to pay interest invalidated break clause notice

Posted on: 02/02/2012 - Commercial Litigation   |   Commercial Property

A court has ruled that a commercial tenant’s break clause notice was invalid because it had not paid the interest that had accrued as a result of late payments.

Local authorities lose appeal over planning permission for HMOs

Posted on: 04/01/2012 - Commercial Property   |   Residential Conveyancing

Three councils have lost their appeal for a judicial review of the Coalition Government’s decision to scrap the need for planning permission when converting single dwellings into houses in multiple occupation (HMOs).

Developers must pay extra after selling land cheap

Posted on: 04/01/2012 - Commercial Property

A development firm must pay more than it bargained for to a local authority after selling on land at below market price to a group company.

Don't overlook new tax relief for property investors

Posted on: 04/01/2012 - Commercial Property   |   Residential Conveyancing

Investors buying properties consisting of two or more flats could be spending far more than necessary if they don’t take advantage of a Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) relief introduced in the Finance Act 2011.

Government calls time on unfair practices that restrict pubs

Posted on: 01/12/2011 - Commercial Property   |   Residential Conveyancing

The Government has announced a number of reforms to end unfair practices which it says have been holding back Britain’s pubs.

Ministers say the strengthened code will abolish the enforcement of upward-only rent reviews and force pub companies to be transparent with their lessees on issues such as charges for dilapidation repairs and income from gaming machines. 

Buy to let landlords acquiring more properties

Posted on: 05/10/2011 - Commercial Property

The renewed interest in buy to let properties is spreading from London to other areas throughout the UK, according to new research.

Landlords still being hit by unfair terms from letting agents

Posted on: 31/08/2011 - Commercial Property   |   Residential Conveyancing

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has warned that consumer landlords are still being presented with potentially unfair terms in contracts with some letting agents.

Court ruling will impact on buy to let landlords

Posted on: 09/08/2011 - Commercial Property

Many buy to let landlords buying a new property rely on the valuation carried out by the surveyor acting on behalf of the mortgage lender.

Landlords and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995

Posted on: 09/08/2011 - Commercial Property

The Court of Appeal has ruled that a landlord did not have to decorate a disabled tenant’s flat so that he could fully “enjoy” the property.

Breaking point - when are vacant premises really vacant?

Posted on: 18/07/2011 - Commercial Litigation   |   Commercial Property

A commercial tenant failed to exercise a break clause correctly because it was still carrying out repairs to the leased premises after the day it should have given up vacant possession.

Failure to consult properly costs landlord £270,000

Posted on: 18/07/2011 - Commercial Litigation   |   Commercial Property

A corporate landlord has been left with a bill of £270,000 after failing to consult properly with tenants.

Tenancy deposit protection "still misunderstood by landlords"

Posted on: 02/06/2011 - Commercial Property   |   Residential Conveyancing

It is now four years since tenancy deposit protection schemes were introduced yet some people still don’t realise they are a legal requirement, according to the Residential Landlords Association (RLA).

Break clause notice became valid once 'accepted' by email

Posted on: 31/05/2011 - Commercial Litigation   |   Commercial Property

A property management company effectively validated a break clause notice by accepting it as an email – even though the lease required more formal notification.

Anti-competition clause 'too restrictive to be enforced'

Posted on: 31/05/2011 - Commercial Litigation   |   Commercial Property   |   Corporate Commercial

Great care is needed when drawing up restrictive covenants; if they are not tight enough they may not be effective, but if they are too restrictive the courts may not enforce them.

Energy performance certificates needed for holiday lets

Posted on: 31/05/2011 - Commercial Property   |   Residential Conveyancing

Landlords who rent out a holiday home on a regular basis will soon need an Energy Performance Certificate or risk facing a fine.

Recession sparks rise in landlord and tenant disputes

Posted on: 14/04/2011 - Commercial Litigation   |   Commercial Property

The recession has sparked a surge in the number of disputes between landlords and business tenants, according to new research.

New measures to reduce burden of red tape for businesses

Posted on: 14/04/2011 - Commercial Property

The Government has announced new measures to reduce the burden of red tape for businesses.

Private rented sector 'to continue expanding into 2012'

Posted on: 14/04/2011 - Commercial Property   |   Residential Conveyancing

The demand for rental property will continue to outstrip supply until at least next year, according to research by the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA).

Localism Bill could 'cause chaos' in the property market

Posted on: 30/03/2011 - Commercial Property   |   Residential Conveyancing

The Localism Bill could cause uncertainty and chaos in the property market, according to the Law Society.

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