Ban on upwards-only rent reviews: Act receives Royal Assent, but the commencement date is yet to be confirmed The Government has implemented the surprise ban on upwards-only rent reviews (“UORRs”) in commercial leases that was tucked away in a bill
More about Quarterly in Advance: Commercial Real Estate – What is on the Horizon?KEY TAKEAWAYS New rules will require disclosure of contractual control agreements over land. A wide range of development-related rights will be caught. Key details must be submitted to the Land Registry within strict deadlines. Information will become publicly accessible, increasing
More about New transparency requirements for Contractual Control AgreementsKEY TAKEAWAYS Legislation banning UORRs is now in place, with commencement expected in 2027 or 2028. The ban will not apply to existing leases, subject to important exceptions. A retrospective element applies to certain tenancy renewal arrangements entered into on
More about Upwards-only rent reviews – preparing for a fundamental changePlease note that this article only considers VAT issues in relation to overage payments – there are other tax issues which also need to be considered, which are beyond the scope of this article. Key Takeaways For housebuilders, overage can
More about Clarified guidance from HMRC on VAT treatment of overageGovernment had initially consulted on 2 options in relation to retention reform as part of its wider aims to improve late payment practices generally. Option A – to prohibit retention clauses and Option B – to allow the continued use
More about Retentions: going, going… gone?This episode explores what happens when tenants leave behind furniture, equipment, and other chattels at the end of a lease.
More about Real estate podcast: from insolvent tenants to furniture returns – navigating chattel issuesIn this episode Suzanne Gill and Rachel Fitzgerald discuss three variations of tenant repair obligations, including fixed‑term works, schedules of condition, and obligations requiring landlord‑surveyor approval.
More about Real estate podcast: futureproofing your dilapidations position at the lease negotiation stageThis episode, featuring Suzanne Gill and Ben Dunbar, examines two significant service charge cases that clarify what it means for a landlord to act “reasonably” when determining a tenant’s service charge proportion.
More about Real estate podcast: service charge apportionments – making the rational choice1. Gateway 2 progress Early indications are that the operational changes to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) made in the latter half of 2025 are showing signs of cutting through the well-publicised Gateway 2 delays. Statistics released by the BSR
More about Building Safety: what to expect in 2026What happened? The Seller, Henley Developments, obtained outline planning permission for a residential development site in Ebbsfleet, Kent and exchanged contracts to sell one of the development parcels to Weston Homes for £14,500,000. Weston Homes paid a 5% deposit on
More about Termination clauses: start as you mean to finish