The Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 applies if you\u2019re renting business premises. Here\u2019s our guide on what commercial tenants need to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve created this guide in collaboration with Arag, our legal expenses insurance provider. Arag helps businesses by giving them access to specialist legal cover, including unlimited legal advice over the phone. Read more about\u00a0legal expenses insurance<\/a>\u00a0available through Simply Business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important for businesses that lease their premises to understand the 1954 Landlord and Tenant Act. That\u2019s because the Act is ultimately designed to protect businesses when their commercial tenancy agreement comes to an end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This protection comes in the form of \u2018security of tenure\u2019, which outlines a\u00a0commercial landlords’ responsibilities<\/a>\u00a0when\u00a0terminating a commercial lease agreement<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 Part II applies to your commercial tenancy, you\u2019ll have the statutory right to renew your tenancy at the end of its term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While Part I of the 1954 Landlord and Tenant Act applied to residential tenancies and is now superseded by other legislation, Part II of the Act is still relevant for commercial tenancies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It applies if you\u2019re renting a commercial property for business purposes (with some exemptions, explained below). It gives you security of tenure, which is a statutory right for the contract to continue at the end of the agreement on the same terms until it\u2019s lawfully terminated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most business tenancies will generally fall under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 and therefore have security of tenure. That being said, there are exemptions, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Understanding security of tenure means that you\u2019ll have a grasp of your rights at the end of your commercial tenancy agreement. If you don\u2019t know your rights, you might end up vacating your business premises unnecessarily, which may harm your business if your location has played a part in its success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If Part II of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 applies to your agreement, then you can renew your tenancy at the end of the contractual term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The landlord can only oppose renewal on limited grounds, set out in section 30 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A landlord will sometimes want the tenant to \u2018contract out\u2019 of the Act, meaning the tenant gives up their statutory rights. If you contract out, you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have a statutory right to renew your lease at the end of its term, and your landlord lawfully opposes the renewal on no-fault grounds (see below), you may be entitled to compensation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The no-fault grounds are set out in paragraphs (e), (f) and (g) of section 30(1) of the Act:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Compensation is calculated by applying a multiplier to the\u00a0rateable value<\/a>\u00a0of the property. These calculations are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Section 24 says that after the end of the contractual term, a business tenancy will continue under section 24(1) of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 until it\u2019s terminated by one of the prescribed methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A section 25 notice is what\u2019s served by the landlord to terminate the existing lease by proposing a new one or refusing renewal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The notice can\u2019t be served more than 12 months before the termination date, nor less than six months before the termination date. The notice must be given to the tenant in the specified format, including all the required information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The notice must also say whether the landlord is proposing to grant a new lease or oppose the granting of a new lease. If the landlord is opposing the lease, they need to set out the grounds for doing so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Section 26 allows the tenant to request a new lease by serving notice on the landlord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As above, the notice can\u2019t be served more than 12 months before the termination date, nor less than six months before the termination date. The notice needs to be in the right format with all the required information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the landlord doesn\u2019t agree with the renewal, they need to serve a counter-notice within two months after the tenant\u2019s request is served, specifying the grounds they\u2019re opposing the renewal under section 30(1) of the Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A section 27 notice allows the tenant to stop the lease by serving notice on the landlord at the end of the contractual period. It won\u2019t continue if the tenant brings the lease to an end by giving at least three months’ notice to the landlord under section 27 of the Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where the landlord and tenant enter into an agreement that complies with section 28, the Act will cease to apply to an existing tenancy on completion of the agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The existing tenancy will continue, unprotected by the Act, until the commencement date specified in the agreement for the future tenancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interim rent is different to rent that\u2019s payable under the terms of the lease. It\u2019s what you need to pay while your lease continues under section 24 of the Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Either the landlord or the tenant can apply to court to determine an interim rent following the service of a section 25 notice or a section 26 request. It\u2019s the court\u2019s discretion as to whether an interim rent will be payable and, if it is, how much the rent will be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Legal expenses insurance gives you protection against the potential costs of legal action brought by or against your business. This includes legal claims relating to property damage, nuisance, or trespass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have legal expenses insurance as part of your Simply Business policy, you have access to a number of useful services through Arag Businesslaw (you\u2019ll just need your voucher code found in your policy documents to register).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arag has a legal advice helpline, available whether you\u2019re facing a serious legal issue or just want to check something with an adviser. They also offer a range of legal templates and guides to help you with tax and contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Would you like to know more about your rights under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954? Let us know in the comments below.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n With Simply Business you can build a single\u00a0business insurance<\/a>\u00a0policy combining the covers that are relevant to you. Whether it’s\u00a0public liability insurance<\/a>,\u00a0employers’ liability<\/a>\u00a0or whatever else you need, we’ll run you a quick quote online, and let you decide if we’re a good fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 Part II explained<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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What does Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 \u2018security of tenure\u2019 mean?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Compensation under the 1954 Landlord and Tenant Act<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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What are the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 sections 24 to 28?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Section 24 Landlord and Tenant Act 1954<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Section 25 Landlord and Tenant Act 1954<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Section 26 Landlord and Tenant Act 1954<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Section 27 Landlord and Tenant Act 1954<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Section 28 Landlord and Tenant Act 1954<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What is interim rent when renting business premises?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
More information about legal expenses insurance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
More guides for small businesses<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Looking for small business insurance?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n