Commercial Landlord & Tenant Law
Commercial leases and disputes require up-to-date legal guidance. At Catherine Allison and Co, we provide comprehensive advice to Commercial Landlords and Tenants across the UK and Ireland, ensuring your interests are protected at every stage. Our team offers the unique advantage of advising on property matters across multiple jurisdictions, including Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, and Wales. This ensures seamless, compliant advice for clients with property portfolios or interests spanning these regions. We can tailor our services to suit our clients’ needs by offering our work to take place in-person or ONLINE
Whether you are negotiating a new commercial agreement or facing a contentious issue, we offer specialist advice on:
- Leasing Agreements: Expert guidance for Landlords drafting leases for new Tenants and for Tenants entering into new commercial Leases. We focus on clear terms to secure your rights and minimise future risk.
- Renewal Rights: We advise on Tenants’ statutory and contractual renewal rights, ensuring compliance with local legislationto protect their ongoing business interests.
- Rent Review Mechanisms: Strategic advice and representation concerning rent review clauses and disputes, aimed at achieving the most favourable commercial outcome.
- Dispute Resolution & Litigation: We have substantial experience in all aspects of Landlord and Tenant litigation and general commercial disputes, including issuing and defending court proceedings to resolve issues effectively.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What are a Commercial tenant’s rights to renew their lease in the UK and Ireland?
The right to a new lease (security of tenure) depends heavily on the jurisdiction and the lease terms.
England & Wales Tenants have an automatic right to renew, unless the lease was formally “contracted out” or the landlord can prove specific statutory grounds for refusal
Ireland: Tenants generally acquire a statutory right to a new lease after five years of continuous business occupation, unless this right was lawfully renounced or “contracted out” in the agreement
Northern Ireland: Similar legislation exists, granting rights of renewal after a qualifying period usually 12 months.
- What is a ‘rent review’ and how is the new rent determined?
A rent review is a mechanism (usually every 3-5 years) that allows the rent to be adjusted during the lease term. Most commercial leases use the Open Market Rental Value method, meaning the rent is adjusted to reflect what the property would achieve on the open market at the review date. Other methods include index-linked or fixed-increase reviews.
- Do all Commercial Landlord and Tenant disputes have to go to Court/Litigation?
No. We always prioritise Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) methods, such as mediation or expert determination, as they are often faster, less costly, and preserve commercial relationships. Litigation is pursued only when ADR fails or when the complexity of the matter requires a definitive legal ruling.
