Simple questions Flashcards
Why was the unit(s) measured under a GIA basis, should you not use NIA or IPMS?
- I measured the unit on this basis in line with other units on the site
- I also knew that I had potential comparables
Are the business rates payable by your client straight after the property becomes vacant?
For industrial buildings such as this one, there is a 6 months rates relief period. This is noted
What was your conclusion of market rent for property? What lease terms would this market rental lease include?
I concluded the market rent to be around £17 psf based on my comparables.
Lease terms
- 5 year lease
- 3 month rent free
- IRI lease (SC common areas)
Would produce a net effective rent of £16.20
What were your key achievements?
- Ensuring all arrears were paid
- Reduced void liability for my client
- Ensured a good landlord and tenant relationship, especially as there were no prior issues with the tenant
What is a TORT notice? What are the timescales?
Legal document alerting the owner of the items that have been left on private land or property
- Time limit for seizing goods from service notice is 12 months
- Goods can only be seized between 6am and 9pm
- Goods seized must be valued and not sold for 7 days
What is an FRI?
Full Repairing and Insurance
What is an IRI?
Internal Repairing and Insurance
What are the main lease terms for the tenant?
- 5 year lease
- No break
- No SC cap
- No rent free
What is a B1 user class?
Relates to offices, research and development and light industry. This has consolidated into class E
Have the user classes not changed since these lettings have happened?
B1 user class is now incorporated into class E as of the Business and Planning Act 2020
What is the effect of a tenant being on an FRI lease compared to an IRI?
It would likely increase the rent as the tenant has more contractual obligations under the lease to repair and insure the property
What is a B8 user class?
Warehousing and open air storage or as a distribution centre
When did user classes change?
Amendments to the user classes were made under the Town and Country Planning Regulations 2020 (User class order 2020)
What are the results of the user classes change?
Those previously labelled as A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, D1 and D2 brought together under new use class E
What other uses fall under class B?
B class - Businesses that serve people either as factories or storage
B2 - Use for carrying on of an industrial process under class E
B8 - Use as storage or distribution centre
Can you explain to me the service charge of the site and the current budget?
- Service charge of the site split into 20 schedules
- Budget is £5,500,000 (includes office)
What are the other vacant industrial units you mention?
These units are of a much larger size, and are also permitted for use under the same user class(es)
What is the situation with the vacant office units at the site?
- Number of vacant office units on site - Ranging sizes
- Out of London office market is currently struggling, although Croxley Park is an attractive location with the services that are offered
What if the unit was vacant for 9 months?
- Void liability for rates would be 3 months = £16,789.50
What was the rateable value for the unit? and multiplier?
- RV = CIRCA £130K
- Multiplier = standard multiplier of 51.2p for the year (2022/2023)
What is the service charge for the unit? And what kind of services do you provide to the common areas?
Service charge year ran from June 2023 to June 2024 at £3.41 psf (Circa £27k)
Services include:
- Grounds maintenance
- Security systems
- Building fabric repairs - Roof, cladding
- Car parking and road surface maintenance
- bus service
Is the lease inside or outside the act?
The lease is outside the act
Were your comparables inside or outside the act?
All of my comparable properties were outside the act
What would have been different if they were inside the act?
The tenant would have had security of tenure under sections 24-28 of the L and T act 1954
How long does the tenant have to dispute forfeiture and what do they need to do?
Have to apply for relief within 6 months of the landlord re-entering the premises
Did you consider dilapidations in the cost of forfeiture?
This wasn’t a discussion that was had. However, based on other properties at the site I would expect the claim to arise in the form of circa £120k
Did you consider dilapidations in the cost of moving the tenant to another unit on the site?
This wasn’t considered as there was no option to move them to a smaller unit on the site.
What is the current situation with the tenant?
They have continued paying on the usual payment dates
What would the sq foot of the property be in IPMS?
The unit wasn’t measured under this basis. All units industrial units on the site are measured under GIA
What was the rent deposit that your client held?
£37,500
Why did you advise against CRAR?
Client aim of fostering strong relationships
- Although it could have been used as an action to recover rental arrears
- Service charge sums would still remain outstanding - As you can’t recover SC through CRAR action
- Stock inventory not of high resell value according to my own judgement and the auctin house confirmation
What is the process of serving CRAR?
Introduced in April 2014 under Tribunals, Court and Enforcement Act 2007
- Minimum unpaid 7 days rent
- 7 days notice to be served
- If no response, enforcement agent can re-attend and take control of goods
- If another 7 days passes, enforcement agent can dispose of goods
What is the process of forfeiture? Are there any deadlines?
Least must have a forfeiture clause
- 21 days of no payment whether formally demanded or not - Landlord can then change locks and gain possession
What are the different types of industrial unit on the site? Are they all the same?
Mainly B1/B2 or B8 user classes
What is the current standard RV multiplier?
54.6p as of April 2024
What was the £X increase in tenants costs made up of?
- Rents signed under new lease
- Service charge increases
- Utilities increases - Although utility costs have since reduced and the market has become less volatile
What is IPMS?
International Property Measurement Standards
What is GIA?
Gross Internal Area
- Area of the building measured to the internal face of the perimeter wall at each floor level
What are the differences between GIA / NIA (Why didn’t you measure on NIA?)
GIA = Includes total internal floor area within the internal walls of a building (excludes external elements such as balconies and external walls)
NIA = Refers to usable floor area within the internal walls of a property (excludes common areas and structural elements)
GIA includes all internal areas within external walls, NIA excludes non-usable spaces, focusing on functional, usable areas
Does the tenant insure the property directly?
Landlord insures the property directly and recharges the tenants. As per IRI, tenants insure their belongings
How did you undertake the profits test?
Helps efficiently evaluate financial performance of business
1) Collected last 3 years of audited accounts
2) Assessed if net profit for business 3 times the rent for the 3 years
3) Although profit was high by YE2020, by YE2022 this had reduced significantly and they had been struggling to generate profit. This can also be seen by their dwindling cash reserves and plateauing revenues
(This is net profit after tax is taken away - more accurate figure)
What does a balance sheet show you?
- Assets
- Liabilities
- Shareholders equity
You determined the market rent by comparison, what makes a property transaction comparable with the property you are valuing?
- Physical condition
- Location
- Use
- Tenure
- Timescale
Your comparable table doesn’t tell me repairing liability?
All units are Internal Repairing and Insurance (IRI)
Looking at your market demand and market rent, you say to determine market rent you obtained comparable evidence. How would you define market rent?
Market rent is the estimated amount for which an interest in the property should be leased on the valuation date between a willing lessor and willing lessee on appropriate lease terms in an arm’s length transaction, after proper marketing and where the parties had each acted knowledgeably, prudently and without compulsion
You refer to the landlord and tenants covenants act 1995, what did that replace?
Privity of Contract
What does section 17 say in terms of timescales of pursuing a guarantor?
Have to pursue within 6 months of the debt falling due
If you had pursued the guarantor and they had cleared the arrears, what right would it have given the guarantor in respect of this property?
Overriding lease
In forfeiture can you use the proceeds of the goods to pay back the arrears?
No - Distress of rent
- Serve a TORTs notice giving tenant 14 days to recover belongings
What did the independent financial expert confirm that you couldn’t?
Due to my lack of competency the expert verified and clarified my original results from the property test and analysis of financial figures.
Could you give me your measurement in square metres?
7.960 / 10.764 = 739.50 sq m
How did you measure the ancillary office space at Unit 5, Woodshots Meadow?
It was measured on an GIA basis alongside the rest of the unit in line with RICS Code of Measuring Practice 6th Edition 2015
How did you adhere to RICS surveying safely when you attended the site?
I ensured to adhere by RICS surveying safely by:
- Carried out RA prior to attendance
- Planned site visit - diarise, charge phone, wore necessary PPE, let colleagues know (as per lone working)
- Took photos of any defects (were none noted)
Who measured the other units on the site and when were they measured on GIA?
A measured survey was undertaken in 2020 by an external land surveyor
How would an IRI lease affect the properties value?
Decreases the property’s value as the landlord has to take on structural repairing obligations (INCREASES MARKET RENT)
What are the common areas?
As leases are IRI, common areas relate mainly to the car parking areas and also areas of the management suite, grass areas, outdoor gym
What is the effect of the lease being contracted out of the L and T act 1954
LL / T doesn’t have security of tenure
- Lease ends on expiry date
You mention my client holds the rent deposit? Would the managing agent not hold it?
That is correct, my firms accountants held the deposit in a protected separate account
Why did the rent deposit value not increase when the tenants new lease was signed?
It was subject to interest increases. A new deposit deed wasn’t signed.
What do you include in your chasing email to tenants?
- What the outstanding amount is and what it relates to
- Timelines for payment
- Who the payment should be made to (bank details)
What is the difference between company accounts and management accounts?
Company accounts = provide an overview of the company’s financial actions
Management accounts = look at these financial actions in more detail and are entirely for internal purposes
Why would you audit accounts?
- Provides credibility for the financial statements and that gives confidence that the accounts are true and fair
Why would the landlord not want a void liability?
Already high voids at the park due to office voids
- High costs
- Sols fees of getting a new tenant in - More admin
How did you assess the market rental value of the property?
Comparable method of valuation - High strength of comparables as they are all at the same property