Leasing and Letting Flashcards
What is the key RICS Professional Statement on leasing/letting practices?
RICS Code for leasing business premises, 2020
When does RICS Code for leasing business premises, 2020 become effective?
1st September 2020
What is the aim of RICS Code for leasing business premises, 2020?
- Improve the quality and fairness of negotiations on lease terms
- Promote the issue of comprehensive heads of terms to make the legal drafting process more efficient
What are the FOUR sections of the RICS Code for leasing business premises, 2020?
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Mandatory requirements (Negotiations and heads of terms)
Part 3: Lease negotiation best practice
Part 4: Appendices
(Appendix A - Template heads of terms and checklist; Appendix B - Guide for landlords and tenants)
What does the RICS Code for leasing business premises, 2020 say with regards to the negotiations of heads of terms?
- Must be approached in a constructive and collaborative manner
- An unrepresented party must be advised about this code and must be recommended to obtain professional advice
- The agreed terms of a lease must be recorded in written heads of terms and must summarise the position on a number of aspects
- Negotiations should produce letting terms that achieve a fair balance between the parties commercial interests
What items must be addressed in the heads of terms according to the RICS Code for leasing business premises, 2020?
- Identity and extent of the premises
- Length of term and whether it is outside or inside the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954
- Options for renewal or break rights
- Requirements for a guarantor and/or rent deposit
- Amount of rent, frequency of payment and whether exclusive of business rates
- Whether the landlord intends to charge VAT on the rent
- Any rent-free period or other incentive
- Any rent reviews including frequency and basis of review
- Liability to pay service charge and/or insurance premiums
- Right to assign, sublet, charge or share the premises
- Repairing obligation
- Initial permitted use and whether any changes of use will be allowed
- Rights to make alterations and any particular reinstatement obligations
- Any initial alterations or fit-out (if known)
- Any condition of the letting, such as subject to surveys, boards approvals or planning permission
What is contained within Appendix A of RICS Code for leasing business premises, 2020?
Template head of terms and a checklist, which can be used should the landlord wish to use their own form of heads of terms document
What is contained within Appendix B of RICS Code for leasing business premises, 2020?
- Guide for landlords and tenants
* Supplemental to the professional statement and does not hold mandatory status
What is a lease?
A binding contract in law that sets out the terms and conditions of the tenancy between parties and defined their rights and obligations
What do rental guarantees typically cover?
Usually make the guarantor liable for the rent and the tenant’s other obligations, including service charge payments and repairs
Do tenants have to pay VAT on rental payments?
Depends if the property is ‘opted for VAT’ by the landlord
What does it mean to ‘assign’ a lease?
Transfer the lease to another party who takes over occupation and responsibility for the lease obligations
What does it mean to ‘sublet’ a property?
Existing tenant continues to hold the lease and pay rent to the landlord but sublets the space to another party, from whom the tenant will in turn collect rent
What is an AGA?
- Authorised guarantee agreement
- Requires the tenant who assigns a lease to guarantee the performance of the lease obligations by the party to whom the lease is assigned
What provisions can there be in the lease to mean that a tenant does not require an AGA to assign a property?
- If the new tenant is financially strong enough
* If the new tenant pays an appropriate rent deposit and/or provides suitable guarantor
What is a ‘schedule of condition’?
- Record of the condition of the property
- Written description of the property or a set of photographs or both
- Referred to in the lease and attached to it or kept with it