West London Solicitors

I want to operate my business using leasehold premises. Can West London solicitors assist me?

West London solicitors can assist on all matters relating to commercial premises. They can assist both landlords and tenants on key issues before deciding to enter into a business property lease arrangement.

Which elements of the lease are you able to assist with specifically?

We assist with all aspects relating to business leases.

We assist with the very first steps relating to negotiating the terms of the lease. This includes how you will be able to use the business premises and the monthly rental costs. West London solicitors will be on hand to make sure that commercial issues such as length of lease and rent review strategies are considered. This will all be considered in the context of the Landlord and Tenant Act and how to ensure protection is awarded. The relevance of break clauses and conditional break clauses will be drafted in depending on your situation. The decided terms will then be drafted into a lease.

We will assist you on issues relating to stamp duty by calculating the due amounts, filling in the relevant forms and sending them off within certain deadlines.

What does rent review mean?

Rent review is analysing the rent owed on a yearly basis so that the amount due can be adjusted to reflect that which is owed from similar premises. The landlord’s solicitor may try to amend the clause so that the amount is increased in certain circumstances. This should be resisted since after a few years the amount can unexpectedly rise to significant degrees.

What is the Landlord and Tenant Act?

This Act gives protection to certain business properties which ensure the landlord cannot evict the tenant at their whim. This Act only applies if the lease lasts longer than 6 months and the tenant is using the premises for business related reasons (very loosely interpreted).

What are the key steps of acquiring a business lease?

The first element to consider is planning issues. We will carry out the relevant local authority checks and discuss with the landlord any restrictions that may be carried out now or in the future.

This will ensure all of your intended proposals of use for the business are lawful and have the consent of the landlord.

What if I am unsure of how I would like to develop my business at a later date?

If you are unsure then we will find out what is not permitted to be carried out on the property and if any relates to any potential business ideas we will look for a different property which can cater to your preferences.

It is also worth keeping in mind that if you decide to sub-let your premises then your tenant may need the freedom to use the premises as they wish.

We hope you found some useful information on this page. For more help, please visit the main commercial lease and property page.