Landlord and Tenant Flashcards
What is a deeming provision?
- Some rent review clauses require the LL to specify the rent in the trigger notice
- The clause will state that if the tenant does not serve the appropriate counter-notice within a specified time, the tenant will have deemed to have accepted the rent
Where does the 1954 act set out procedure for contracting outside the Act?
- Section 38A of the Act sets out the procedure
Why might you contract a lease outside the act?
- The landlord will want to re-occupy the property in due course
- The landlord wishes to redevelop the property at the lease end
- The rent may be lower
- The landlord wants future flexibility
When a lease expires outside the Act can a tenant remain in occupation?
- tenant has no statutory right to remain in occupation and no compensation is payable at the end of the lease to the tenant
- The landlord must ensure the premises are vacant or ensure new lease is in place at the lease expiry date.
- If they accept rent then a protected tenancy must be created
How do contract a lease outside the act?
- A strict procedure must be undertaken
- The landlord has to serve a notice on the prospective tenant, that the proposed lease will not be protected.
- This is known as a ‘health warning
- The proposed tenant must then make declaration, confirming they havr received the notice and accept its terms
- This must be completed before the lease is signed
What are 2 types of declaration?
- Simple declaration – given when parties have at least 14 days or more prior to committing to the lease
- Statutory declaration – given when the parties have less than 14 days prior to committing to the lease. If this is the case, a statutory declaration must be made before an independent solicitor
What are upcoming changes to L&T?
- In March 2023 the Law Commission announced that it intends to review Part II of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1945
- The stated aims of the review are:
‘Ensuring Part 2 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 works for today’s commercial leasehold market’ - As at July 2024, the next steps are stated to aim to publish a consultation paper in Autumn 2024
Devalue OML
Assume 3mrf
What are the dispute resolution options for lease renewals?
- The default dispute resolution mechanism for the renewal of a lease that is protected by the LTA 1954 is a referral to the County Court
- Subject to both parties agreeing, an ADR is a reference under PACT (Professional Arbitration on Court Terms)
What is PACT?
Professional Arbitration on Court Term
- Both parties agree to refer the dispute to PACT
- It is encouraged by the courts and by RICS an ADR mechanism for unopposed business tenant renewals
- Non-rent issues can be decided by a solicitor and rent issues can be decided by a chartered surveyor
- The parties free to decide whether the dispute resolver acts as an arbitrator or an independent expert
- The dispute resolver can be appointed following an application the ADR service of RICS or application to the Law Society
- The decision is binding
What are the advantages of PACT?
- Fast
- Cost saving – expensive County Court hearing is avoided
- Greater flexibility and control over procedure for the parties
- Decision by a surveyor on rent-related terms rather than a County Court judge
What are the ways to terminate a lease?
- Break clauses
- Lease expiry and service of notices under the LTA Act 1954
- Surrender and negotiation
What information is needed from a client before instruction?
- Agreed ToE
- Know client’s strategy and objectives
- A copy of the existing lease and any plans attached to the lease of deeds of variation
- Copies of any licenses, eg for alterations, improvements, sub-letting or assignment and any deeds of variation to the lease
- Copy of any RRM
- Contact details for the tenant to arrange an inspection
- Confirmation of which party will be responsible for the service of notices
- A copy of the property management file
- Details of any comparable evidence
What must you do before issuing ToE?
- That you are competent
- There is no personal interest or conflict of interest
What was included in your ToE?
- Confirmation of your complaints handling procedure details
- Your refer to the standard terms of business that will apply alongside the Terms of Engagement for the task
What can fees be based on?
- A % of the new agreed rent
- A % of the saving made from the quoting rent
- A fixed fee
- An hourly rate (most often used for third party determinations)
- Incentive fee
What actions are required for a surveyor?
- Undertake a conflict of interest and competency check
- Agree terms of engagement with the client
- Obtain an understanding of your clients objectives
- Read the lease and understand the RR clause
- Check that the lease is not contracted out of act
- Check whether time is of the essence a RR
- Inspect and measure
- Undertake a market rent valuation, having regard to the terms of the lease
- Prepare a report for your client setting out your recommendations
- Agree your strategy with your client and confirm who is serving the relevant notices (always instruct a lawyer to serve 1954 act lease renewal notices
- Enter into negotiations, once the correct notices have been served.
- Conclude negotiations and document the rent review in a RRM
- For a LR, instruct solicitors to prepare the new lease in accordance with the head of terms prepared for the new lease
What is the update on consultation of L&T Act 1954?
- Initial consultation Nov 2024
- Consultation on Right to Renew business tenancies (Part 2 L&T Act 1954)
- Option to modernize
- Options being considered include:
1. complete abolition
2. substantial reform
3. no change at all - Follow up consultation in 2025
What are the 4 options being consulted with regard to the L&T Act 1954?
- Keep the Act but abolish contracting out (all tenancies are protected)
- Abolish the Act entirely
- Keep the Act but contract in instead of out
- stick with current position
What has spurred the need for consulation?
- Changes in the commercial leasehold market
- Shorter lease terms
- Alternative rental models (eg turnover)
Main point of consultation?
Is security of tenure needed?
If so, what form it should take?
What is a license?
A license passes no interest in the land but only makes lawful what would otherwise be unlawful
What is an example of a licence?
a right to park a car at a pop up shop in a shopping centre
What are the characteristics of a license?
- A right to enter a property
- The licensee acquires no interest in the property
- It is a personal right that can be terminated by either party
Where would you typically have a licesne?
- Flexible office
- parking
- temporary storage, vaults
- scaffolding (where you can be moved)
Why would a LL prefer to have a license?
- More flexibility.
- Few rights to the tenant.
- Not granting security of tenure.
- Usually shorter period of notice.
What is exclusive occupation?
Tenant’s right
exclude others from it
What are the FOUR requirements of a lease?
- Exclusive occupation
- Payment of rent
- Duration for a specified term
- If for more than 3 years, the terms must be in writing, signed and registered as a deed
What are the THREE main differences between a lease and a license?
- A lease provides an occupier with an estate in the land
(a license is a permission to make it lawful for them to use the land) - A lease can be assigned
(a license is normally a personal right that cannot be assigned) - A lease cannot be terminated until it expires (unless there is a break clause) – a license can usually be revoked at any time
What is the case law sets out the difference between a lease and license?
Street v Mountford (1985)
What are Land Registry minimum requirements for lease plans?
Red line boundary,
scale,
north sign,
orientation,
need a plan for each floor if it is multi-let building.
What is tenancy at will?
- Form of license created by written agreement for an unspecified time in which the landlord may evict the tenant at any time.
- Not a legal interest in land with no renewal right
What are 2 examples of tenancy at will?
- For allowing a tenant early entry for fit out works
- Whilst tenant is agreeing a new contracted out of 1954 lease after the lease expiry
What is wayleave?
- Temporary right and receives an annual payment
- It is personal to the company and cannot be automatically transferred to a new owner
- It is not compulsorily registrable
What is an example of wayleave?
Providing a right for an electricity company to install and retain their apparatus
What is an easement?
- A permanent right and receives a capital payment
- It is capable of being registered at the land registry
- It allows a right enjoyed by one party over the land of the other
What is a prescriptive right?
A prescriptive right of way or prescriptive easement can be obtained because of continuous and uninterrupted use being proven over a period of not less than 20 years
What is a permissive right?
- Can be granted by a landowner to allow access over the land.
- They are not public rights of way and the public do not have a right to use them.
- There is usually signage in place to confirm that there is a permissive right of way
What is adverse possession?
The process by which a person who is not the legal owner of the land can become the legal owner through possession of the land for a specified period of time, without the owners permission
What are the steps of a rent review process?
- Instruction
- Pre-inspection
- Inspection
- Report
- Negotiations
- Resolution