Unless specific steps are taken prior to completion of a lease of business premises, a tenant usually has an automatic right to renew their tenancy under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 (or the ‘1954 Act’). Our commercial property specialist Joy Hancock explains how this right can be excluded from new leases through a provision known as ‘contracting out’.

By contracting out, the parties agree to take the lease outside of the automatic renewal rights as afforded to a tenant…

Flexible workers may benefit from new rights and extra protections if they lose out on work.
The proposals form part of the Good Work Plan and the Government are consulting further on the proposed new measures. These include:

Compensation for workers when shifts are cancelled at short notice
Entitlement to a reasonable period of notice for their allocated shifts
Additional protections for individuals who are penalised if they do not accept shifts last minute

Flexible working is a feature of…

Taking on a commercial premises for the first time – or moving up into a larger property – can be a huge step for any business, bringing with it a raft of financial and health and safety commitments which all need to be taken into consideration.
Scrutinising the lease you agree as a tenant is key as it can affect how your business can operate. It will help you avoid being hit with unexpected costs in the future which you hadn’t…