Landlord and Tenant Level 3 Flashcards
What was the High Street Bank Lease Renewal, Bexleyheath example?
Lloyds bank
Bexleyheath bank
What were the existing terms of Bexleyheath?
5 years
A1 use
assign/sublet whole with LL consent
No break or RR
What was the passing rent at Bexleyheath?
£140,000 - £64 ZA
Why did you serve a S.26?
- Crystalise the expiry
- Wanted to show an intention to renew
Why didn’t you just confirm the renewal with the Landlord’s agent?
- More than 6 months from expiry
- And I wanted to protect my clients position
- Proved to the LL that we wanted to review
Is a S.26 legally binding?
- Protected by the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954
- But it is not legally binding until signed lease
What were the terms in the Bexleyheath S.26?
Term: 5 years
Rent: £110,000 pa (20%) discount
Break clause: TOB at 3rd
Describe the inspection of Bexleyheath
Location: western end of the prime pitch
Demise: GF, kitchen, ancillary space
Demand: Historically strong retail take up in Bexleyheath, with few vacant units
Describe the zoning of Bexleyheath
A/1
A/2
A/4
Ancillary Space
Kitchen
(no allowance or discount)
What was your key comparable for Bexleyheath?
Boots (£65 ZA)
- LR
- 3 months prior
- same terms
- opposite
What was the rental tone of Bexleyheath?
£60-£70 ZA
What was the general demand for Bexleyheath?
Historically strong retail take up in Bexleyheath, with few vacant units
What is rack rented?
Market Rent
Why did you advise the property was rack rented?
The ERV was in and around the passing rent at the time of reporting
What negotiations did you undergo?
- Areas - joint inspection
- Term and rent
- negotiated 5 year term with TOB at 3rd in exchange for passing rent (in line with comps) - Negotiated ZA with evidence
- Pitch
How did the details in the S.26 differ to what was actually agreed?
- S.26 is form of trigger to issue a lease renewal and to set the valuation date
- Proposed rent was c.20% below my ERV (negotiation tactic)
- After LL receipt of S.26 we entered into negotiations
- Revealed new evidence where Zone A increased
- Agreed rent at £60 ZA (in line with passing) slightly higher than our S.26
Did any other terms change on renewal other than term and rent?
- Yes we agreed a TOB at 3rd
- All other clauses remained as existing lease (subject to modernization)
What were the salient points of the HoT?
Term: 5 years with TOB at 3rd
L&T Act: Inclusive
Rent: £140,000 pa
Rent review: n/a
Break clause: TOB at 3rd
Repair/decoration: As per existing
Use: within class E
Alienation: As per existing
Alterations: as per existing
When were solicitors instructed?
After HoT were agreed
What was the agreed rent and ZA for bexleyheath?
£140,000
£65 ZA
Talk me through an example of RR
Talk me through how you got to Market Rent?
Gathered evidence and applied it to your areas
Assumptions for devaluing
Always in line with comps
What general types of things did you negotiate?
- Negotiated Zone A - THIRD PARTY / EVIDENCE
- Negotiated areas - JOINT INSPECTION
Talk me through a lease renewal example
- Read the lease
- Understand client objectives
- Inspect and measure
- Gather comps and create schedule
- Advise client on Market Rent achievable
- Client approval approach LL with proposal
- WP and Subject to Contract - Negotiate
- Client approval of agreed lease terms
- HoT
- Instruct solicitors
Where was the third party report?
Tottenham
Tottenham Halifax
What initial advise did you give for the third party report?
- Disputed rent review
- It was going to third party
How did you know the third party determination was an Independent expert?
It was stated in the Rent Review clause of the lease
When could a third party be either IE or arbitrator?
Sometimes lease states that LL can choose
What is the guidance for acting as an Arbitrator?
RICS Professional Standard – ‘surveyors acting as arbitrators in commercial property rent reviews’ 2013
States how to deal with conflicts
How should the dispute resolver be determined?
Via an application to the Dispute Resolution Service of RICS – the current cost is £425 (inclusive of VAT)
What is the basic process of a third party?
- Agree on appointment or apply to RICS DRS (get client approval)
- Appointed party to issue directions (timelines and deadlines)
- Duty of surveyor to act as Expert Witness
- Both submit statement of agreed facts
- Both submit 1st report
- reports swapped
- Points of reply (2nd report)
- Award/determination - Final award on costs
What is the guidance on independent experts?
RICS Professional Standard: Independent Expert determination, 2016
What are characteristics of an IE?
- Detailed knowledge of the market
- Not bound by judicial rules
- Bound my terms of lease
- Makes own enquiries
- No appeal against decision
- No power to disclose
- Only determine costs stated in lease
When is it good to use an IE?
When comparable evidence is scarce
IE and Arbitration decision?
IE = Determination
Arbitrator = Award
Case law on Independent expert?
Level Properties Ltd v Balls Brothers Ltd (2007)
- example of an experts determination of a rent review case not being held to be binding
What are characteristics of an Arbitrator?
- Usually appointed by RICS DRS
- Flexibility to agree procedural matters
- Decision based on submitted evidence only
- Arbitrator can order disclosure
- Has the power to award costs of the arbitrator of both parties
- Governed by statute