Key Lease Clauses & Terms Flashcards

1
Q

(1) What type of Lease should you recommend to a Commercial Landlord?
(2) What does it mean?

A

(1) Full Repairing and Insurance (FRI) Lease
(2) T responsible for cost of (a) Repairs and (b) Insurance

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2
Q

What are the 9 key Terms / Areas of a Lease that a Solicitor should consider?

(CLUE - “Really Responsible Tenants Bring Rent In And Use Agreements”)

A

(1) RENT
(2) RENT REVIEW
(3) TERM
(4) BREAK CLAUSE
(5) REPAIR
(6) INSURANCE
(7) ALTERATIONS
(8) USE / PLANNING
(9) ALIENATION

“Really Responsible Tenants Bring Rent In And Use Agreements”

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3
Q

Key Term / Area (1) RENT.

What are the 5 key areas to consider for Rent in a Lease?

A

(1) Payment Schedule
(2) ‘Grace Period’
(3) Tax
(4) ‘Suspension of Rent’ Clause
(5) Deposit

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4
Q

Key Term / Area (1) RENT.

(1) What are the 2 main ‘Payment Schedules’ for rent?
(2) What is a ‘Grace Period’?

A

(1)
(a) Monthly OR
(b) Quarterly

(2) T has an extra few days to pay rent before INTEREST charged

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5
Q

Key Term / Area (1) RENT.

(1) What can the Landlord choose to do Re Tax and Rent?
(2) What is an advantage of this?

A

(1) Charge VAT on rent
(2) L recover VAT (e.g. on maintenance / refurbishment costs)

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6
Q

Key Term / Area (1) RENT.

What is a ‘Suspension of Rent’ Clause?

A

Suspend Rent if DAMAGE / DESTRUCTION to a Property from an ‘INSURED RISK’

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7
Q

Key Term / Area (1) RENT.

What are 2 examples of best practice for the L holding the ‘Deposit’?

A

(1) Separate account
(2) Allow interest accrue

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8
Q

Key Term / Area (2) RENT REVIEW.

What are the 4 main types of rent review and what does each one mean?

A

(1) ‘OEPN MARKET’ (Upwards Only) - open market rent & can only ever increase
(2) STEPPED - rent increases pre-agreed amounts (e.g. £100 each 2 years)
(3) INDEXED - rise in line with inflation
(4) TURNOVER - based on T’s business Turnover

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9
Q

Key Term / Area (2) RENT REVIEW.

For an ‘OEPN MARKET’ (Upwards Only) Rent Review, A 3rd party SURVEYOR will consider what a FRESH TENANT would pay for the property on the open market.

(1) What are the 2 components the Surveyor will use?
(2) Are these subject to negotiation?

A

(1)
(a) Comparable Premises (e.g. size, location)
(b) ASSUMPTIONS & DISGREGARDS

(2) Assumptions & Disregards are

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10
Q

Key Term / Area (2) RENT REVIEW.

For an ‘OEPN MARKET’ (Upwards Only) Rent Review, a SURVEYOR will make ‘Assumptions’ & ‘Disregards’.

What are 5 common ASSUMPTIONS?

A

(1) Willing L&T
(2) Property in VACANT POSSESSION
(3) SAME LEASE TERMS (e.g. strength of covenants) EXCEPT RENT AMOUNT
(4) T Complied ALL COVENANTS
(5) IF Property Damaged / Destroyed - FULLY REPAIRED

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11
Q

Key Term / Area (2) RENT REVIEW.

For an ‘OEPN MARKET’ (Upwards Only) Rent Review, a SURVEYOR will make ‘Assumptions’ & ‘Disregards’.

What are 3 common DISREGARDS?

A

(1) T’ in OCCUPATION
(2) GOODWILL (e.g. success of T’s business)
(3) Voluntary IMPROVEMENTS by T

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12
Q

Key Term / Area (3) TERM.

What 2 questions should be considered here?

A

(1) TYPE - Fixed term or Periodic?
(2) Security of tenure / ‘excluded’ from LTA 1954?

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13
Q

Key Term / Area (4) BREAK CLAUSE.

(1) What is a BREAK CLAUSE?
(2) What are the 3 types and what one is most common?

A

(1) Allows lease to be TERMINATED before end of Term
(2)
(a) T Break Clause (most common)
(b) L Break Clause
(c) Mutual Break Clause (T&L)

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14
Q

Key Term / Area (5) REPAIR.

If a Lease has a ‘Repair Covenant’ that states the property “KEEP in good repair” or “PUT in good repair”.

(1) What does this ‘Repair Covenant’ mean?
(2) What should the T’s solicitor (a) Do instead? (b) Replace the phrasing with?

A

(1) KEEP = PUT (i.e. T’s responsibility to put in ‘good repair’ even if not given in that state)
(2)
(a) Surveyor report on state of property with pics & annex this in ‘SCHEDULE OF CONDITION’
(b) “MAINTAIN the premises as per the SCHEDULE OF CONDITION”

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15
Q

Key Term / Area (5) REPAIR.

What 3 exclusions should a T solicitor seek from the ‘REPAIR COVENANT’?

A

(1) Damage caused by ‘INSURED RISKS’ (why? - T NOT pay twice)
(2) ‘Fair wear and tear’
(3) Inherent Defects

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16
Q

Key Term / Area (5) REPAIR.

A ‘Repair Clause’ / “yield up in repair” will often set the standard as being to the “Landlord’s Satisfaction”.

What 2 options should the T’s solicitor do for a clause like this?

A

(1) REMOVE clause
(2) Change standard to “Independent Surveyor’s Reasonable Opinion”

17
Q

Key Term / Area (6) Insurance.

Under an FRI Lease, how does ‘Insurance work?

A

(1) L insures property
(2) T pays ‘Premiums’

18
Q

Key Term / Area (6) Insurance.

What 3 INSURANCE COVENANTS should T aim to get from the L?

A

(1) L Insures Property
(2) L uses Insurance Money fully for Repairs (i.e. not spend on other things)
(3) Both L and T on Insurance Policy

19
Q

Key Term / Area (6) Insurance.

What Clause should the:
(1) T aim for?
(2)
(a) Both T and L aim for?
(b) When would this clause be used by a:
(i) L
(ii) T

A

(1) ‘RENT SUSPENSION CLAUSE’ - Suspend Rent if DAMAGE / DESTRUCTION to a Property from an ‘INSURED RISK’

(2)
(a) TERMINATION CLAUSE - Lease to be TERMINATED before end of Term
(b)
(i) L - impossible repair / restore property
(ii) T - END ‘rent suspension’ period

20
Q

Key Term / Area (7) ALTERATIONS.

What is the definition of ‘IMPROVEMENTS’ re Alterations?

A

Anything increases VALUE / USE property from T’s POV

21
Q

Key Term / Area (7) ALTERATIONS.

If a Lease has an ABSOLUTE Alteration Covenant:

What is the rule on whether Alterations can be made?

A

NO Unless IMPROVEMENTS

(Improvements - Anything increases VALUE / USE property from T’s POV)

22
Q

Key Term / Area (7) ALTERATIONS.

If a Lease has a QUALIFIED Alteration Covenant.

(1) What is the rule on whether Alterations can be made?
(2) What role has s19(2) LTA had in (1)?
(3) If L consents to the ‘Alteration’ what is this typically recorded in?

A

(1)
(a) IMPROVEMENTS can be made
(b) L’s consent CANNOT be ‘UNREASONABLY’ Withheld

(2) ‘Upgraded’ covenant from QUALIFIED TO FULLY QUALIFIED

(3) ‘Licence to Alter’

23
Q

Key Term / Area (8) USE / PLANNING.

(1) What does a ‘User covenant’ do?
(1) Does LTA ‘upgrade’ qualified to fully qualified covenants for a ‘user covenant’

A

(1) Prevents property being used for certain uses (e.g. types of business)
(2) NO - LTA NOT apply to ‘User covenants’

24
Q

Key Term / Area (9) ALIENATION.

(1) What does ‘Alienation’ mean?
(2) What are the 2 main types?

A

(1) T DISPOSES of their INTEREST in a lease
(2)
(a) Assignment
(b) Subletting / Underletting

25
Q

Key Term / Area (9) ALIENATION.

If a Lease has a QUALIFIED Alienation Covenant.

What is the impact of S19(1) LTA on a ‘QUALIFIED COVENANT’ and what is the outcome of this?

A

(1) Upgrade to ‘FULLY QUALIFIED Covenant’
(2) Consent of the L CANNOT be UNREASONABLY WITHHELD

26
Q

Key Term / Area (9) ALIENATION

If a Lease has a QUALIFIED / FULLY QUALIFIED Alienation Covenant what are the 2 impacts on the CONSENT the L gives?

A

(1) Consent of the L CANNOT be UNREASONABLY WITHHELD
(2) Consent given in a REASONABLE TIME (days / weeks NOT months)

27
Q

Key Term / Area (9) ALIENATION.

If a Lease has a QUALIFIED / FULLY QUALIFIED Alienation Covenant, (a) Consent CANNOT be UNREASONABLY withheld.

(1) What does ‘Reasonable’ mean here?
(2) What are 2 examples of what would be considered ‘Reasonable’?
(3) What is an examples of what would NOT considered ‘Reasonable’?

A

(1) Re L&T RELATIONSHIP
(2)
(a) Use of premises
(b) Ability pay rent (e.g. bad references)
(3) T’s sex / race

28
Q

Key Term / Area (9) ALIENATION.

If a Lease has a QUALIFIED / FULLY QUALIFIED Alienation Covenant, (b) Consent must be given in a REASONABLE TIME.

What is a ‘Reasonable Time’?

A

Days /Weeks NOT Months

29
Q

Key Term / Area (9) ALIENATION.

If a Lease meets the 3 below conditions:
(1) QUALIFIED / FULLY QUALIFIED Alienation Covenant
(2) NEW LEASE (1st Jan 1996)
(3) Re ASSIGNMENT (NOT Subletting)

(1) What may the lease contain?
(2) Do these have to be ‘Reasonable’?
(3) What is a common example of a condition?

A

(1) PRE-AGREED CONDITIONS for L to grant Assignment
(2) NO
(3) AGA (between L and outgoing T)

30
Q

Key Term / Area (9) ALIENATION.

A Lease can contain PRE-AGREED CONDITIONS that have to be met for L to grant assignment. These do NOT have to be reasonable.

What 3 conditions must be met for this?

A

(1) QUALIFIED / FULLY QUALIFIED Alienation Covenant
(2) NEW LEASE (1st Jan 1996)
(3) Re ASSIGNMENT (NOT Subletting)

31
Q

Key Term / Area (9) ALIENATION.

If a Lease has a QUALIFIED / FULLY QUALIFIED Alienation Covenant.

If the Landlord gives consent what will this be commonly recorded in and who is this between for:
(1) Assignment
(2) Sublet / Underlet

A

(1) ‘Licence to Assign’ (L, outgoing T, A)
(2) ‘Licence to Sublet’ (L, T, ST)