Leases: Remedies and ending a lease Flashcards
What remedies are available to the landlord when there is a breach of rent covenant?
Breach of rent covenant:
- Action for debt:
The tenant can be sued on its covenant
to pay rent; can only recover six years’
arrears. - Forfeiture:
Bringing the lease to a premature end. - Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery (CRAR):
Requires a landlord to serve an enforcement notice on the tenant giving seven clear days’ notice that it will seize goods. (not available in mixed use or residential premises)
What remedies are available to the landlord when there is a breach of a non-rent covenant?
breaches of other types of covenant than rent (eg repair covenant):
- Injunction
- Specific performance
- Forfeiture
- Damages:
ordinary contractual rules as to the measure of damages will generally apply.
What are the different ways a lease can end?
- Notice to quit
- Merger;
Tenant acquires landlord’s interests - becoming its own landlord. - Forfeiture
- Break clause
- Surrender;
Handing back of the lease by the tenant to the landlord with their consent. - Effluxion of time;
no notice is needed at the end of a fixed term.
What is the notice to quit?
This is the method for determining a periodic tenancy.
For a yearly tenancy, either side must give at least half a year’s notice to quit to determine the tenancy
How do we identify forfeiture in both legal and equitable lease?
Legal leases: express forfeiture clause in the lease (NEVER implied).
Equitable lease: No need to be an express clause as the right to forfeit for non-payment of rent IS IMPLIED.
How does a landlord exercise the right of forfeiture?
For both non-payment of rent or breach of covenant:
- peaceably re-entering the property; (business premise can change peaceably to physically.)
- by obtaining a court order (needed in residential premises)
What is the forfeiture procedure?
Step 1: Has there been a breach?
Step 2: Is there a forfeiture clause?
Step 3: Has there been a waiver?
What is the importance of a waiver?
If the landlord wishes to forfeit, he must not have waived his right to forfeit.
he does so when..
- he is aware of the acts or omissions giving rise to the right to forfeit; and
- he does some unequivocal act recognising the continued existence of the lease.
Can a waiver take place inadvertently?
Continuing breach: waiver only lasts until the next day the breach continues at which point the landlord can reject the rent and forfeit the lease
Non continuing: subletting without consent, waiver is permanent, ie once rent is accepted the landlord can never again forfeit for that specific breach.
What is the procedure for forfeiture of non-payment of rent?
Step 1: Has there been a breach?
Step 2: Is there a forfeiture clause?
Step 3: Has there been a waiver?
Step 4: Formal demand
Step 5: Exercise the right
Step 6: Relief
What is step 4 in the procedure for forfeit of non-payment of rent?
Formal demand:
The landlord must have made a formal demand for the exact amount of
rent due on the day when it becomes payable, upon the premises, between the
hours of sunrise and sunset
UNLESS
- The lease expressly waives this requirement.
- At least six months’ rent is in arrears and there are insufficient distrainable (ie seizable) goods on the premises to satisfy all the arrears due.
What is step 5 in the procedure for forfeit of non-payment of rent?
Exercise the right
The landlord can proceed to exercise its right to forfeit by court order or peaceable re-entry.
What is step 6 in the procedure for forfeit of non-payment of rent?
The tenant, and any sub-tenant, can apply for relief from forfeiture.
Relief is the court’s discretion to allow the lease to continue.
Relief can be applied for regardless of whether the right has been exercised by court order or peaceable reentry and will usually be granted if the tenant can pay off the arrears.
What is the procedure for forfeiture of breach of other covenants?
Step 1: Has there been a breach?
Step 2: Is there a forfeiture clause?
Step 3: Has there been a waiver?
Step 4: s.146 notice
Step 5: Exercise the right
Step 6: Relief
What is step 4 in the procedure for forfeit of breach of other covenants?
The the landlord must first serve notice upon the tenant under LPA 1925, s 146.