Whether you are a landlord or tenant, having a strong commercial lease in place is essential to protect your interests and help your business operate efficiently.

At Lewis Denley, our expert commercial lease solicitors deal with a wide range of leases including retail, restaurants, coffee shops, pubs, and warehouses, acting for both landlord and tenants.

If you wish to speak to someone regarding your business lease, please call us at our offices in Horsham, West Sussex, or email us on info@lewisdenley.com.

Our commercial lease solicitors’ expertise 

We can assist with a whole range of commercial lease-related matters and issues, including:

• Negotiating heads of terms
• Preparation and drafting of new leases
• Variation of lease
• Rent deposit deeds
• Lease extensions
• Rent reviews
• Lease renewals
• Licences for alterations
• Repairs and dilapidations
• Sub-letting and assignment
• Break clauses
• Forfeiture
• Commercial lease disputes

We are well known for our dynamic and proactive approach to commercial lease matters. Your success will be central to our instruction, whether you an investor in commercial property, a business renting commercial premises, or another relevant party.

Letting commercial property comes with many opportunities and pitfalls for both landlords and tenants. It is essential to establish the balance of power between the parties early on in the relationship and we will work hard to ensure your interests are protected at all times.

Commercial lease agreements

A well-drafted commercial lease agreement is crucial to regulate the relationship between you and your landlord or tenant. Whether the property is office space, a shop, leisure facility, or industrial space, the lease needs to specify matters such as:

• The period of time the tenant is entitled to occupy the property
• The rent amount
• Details of service charges
• The rights of both parties
• Any rights reserved by either party
• Clauses on alterations and repairs
• Rent review clauses
• Break clauses

We can provide expert drafting and review services, carefully tailoring our advice to your individual situation and commercial requirements.

Commercial lease renewals

Most business tenants have an automatic right to renew their lease unless explicitly excluded in the lease agreement. If you do have the right to renew, you can stay in the property even after your term ends – this is called “holding over”.

When helping you negotiate your lease agreement, we will provide detailed advice about the implications of including or excluding a right to renew. If you already have a commercial lease agreement in place, we can provide advice on your legal right to renew your lease (if you are a tenant) or your right to take back possession of the property (if you are a landlord).

If there is no automatic right, we can help you negotiate a renewal with your landlord or tenant.

Commercial rent reviews

Rent reviews allow landlords to regularly assess and adjust the rent on a commercial property. The lease agreement will set out provisions for the landlord to conduct a rent review. We can provide advice on initial lease agreement negotiations to agree terms that are beneficial to your interests. We can also assist with rent review processes under established commercial leases.

Ending a commercial lease

There are various ways a commercial lease can come to an end, including:

• The natural end of a business tenancy. Whether there is a right to renew will depend on the terms of the lease agreement.
• The exercise of break clauses – a lease provision that allows the landlord or tenant (or both) to end the tenancy upon a certain date or trigger event.
• Commercial possession proceedings – a landlord may seek to repossess the property in situations like non-payment of rent.

We can provide advice on the legal processes involved in ending a commercial lease as well as handling the entire process on your behalf (including starting legal proceedings if necessary).

Our commercial lease solicitors’ fees

We understand that costs will be an essential consideration for you. The benefit of instructing a specialist commercial lease solicitor is we will streamline the process, completing all legal documentation efficiently and cost-effectively.

We are happy to work flexibly with our commercial clients to find a costs solution that works for you. At the beginning of our instruction, we will have an upfront discussion about our fees and other costs you can expect (such as Land Registry fees). We will also agree a funding arrangement, offering fixed fees wherever possible or competitive hourly rates.

Why choose our commercial lease solicitors?

At Lewis Denley, we are a team of dedicated legal professionals who provide advice to individuals and businesses across Horsham and the wider West Sussex area.

We pride ourselves on offering a fresh, innovative approach to legal matters. We forge relationships with our clients, enabling us to truly tailor our advice to their individual commercial strategy and goals. We also heavily invest in our own people, ensuring we continue our professional development at all stages of our careers so we can continue offering the highest quality of legal services to you.   

Get in touch with our commercial lease solicitors in Horsham, West Sussex

If you wish to speak to someone regarding your business lease, please call us at our offices in Horsham, West Sussex, or email us on info@lewisdenley.com