If a landlord doesn’t want to carry out repairs on a commercial property unless he has a tenant waiting to move in, is he entitled to have the rateable value reduced? A recent case saw landlord Christopher Shaw appeal after a valuation tribunal refused to reduce the rateable value of one of his business units.
The National Landlord’s Association (NLA) has criticised government proposals to introduce 3-year minimum tenancies. Ministers say 3-year tenancy terms, with a 6-month break clause, are necessary to help renters put down roots, and to give landlords longer term financial security. The average amount of time tenants stay in a property is four years, according to
When agreeing break clauses on commercial properties it’s important to ensure the terms are clear and unambiguous. Otherwise costly disputes can arise, as happened in a recent case involving Goldman Sachs and Procession House Trustee Ltd. Goldman had taken out a lease for a term of 25 years from 1999, at a rent of over
The government has published new guidance for landlords to protect tenants from being exposed to poor living conditions. From 1 October this year, landlords who let a property to five or more people – from two or more separate households – must be licensed by their local housing authority. The move will affect around 160,000
The Supreme Court has ruled that an oral agreement to vary the terms of a licence for serviced offices was ineffective because the contract specified that all changes had to be in writing to be valid. The long running dispute involved Rock Advertising Ltd, who rented premises from MWB Business Exchange Centres Ltd. The contract
Landlords must consult tenants over service charges for work carried out on their homes but how far does that obligation go? The Court of Appeal provided a useful insight in a recent case involving property company Reedbase Ltd and some of its tenants. An asphalt roof needed to be repaired, which involved removing tiles. Some
The government is pressing ahead with its plans to make property agents in the private sector join “an approved or designated client money protection (CMP) scheme” if they handle client money. The move follows a public consultation by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government at the end of last year. In its response
A commercial landlord has won a dispute with the liquidators of the former BHS retailer over the payment of rent. The issue arose because BHS had entered into a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) to pay reduced rents to landlords of its stores and offices. The agreement contained a clause stating that if the CVA was
The introduction of tougher electrical safety standards for rented properties has been put forward for public consultation by Housing Minister Heather Wheeler. The move comes after recent data revealed that tenants in the private housing sector were at a higher risk of electrical shocks and fires caused by electrical faults than those in social housing.
A landlord has won its appeal against a court ruling that a man who had made alterations to his flat and upset neighbours had not breached his tenancy agreement. The case involved a tenant who suffered with a paranoid personality disorder. He moved into the flat with his two dogs. He made various changes to