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COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE SOLICITORS

Legal support for the businesses behind the buildings

We act for landlords, investors, property managers and agents across the UK, keeping your leases, your tenants and your commercial agreements in order so the portfolio performs as intended. A fixed monthly fee, with no hourly billing.

Assess your legal risk
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COMMON PROBLEMS WITH COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

The problems that bring property owners and occupiers to us

A lease decides considerably more than the rent. Whether the term can be ended, who pays for the roof and what happens at expiry are all settled in the drafting, and rarely revisited until they matter. These are the six situations we are asked about most, and what each one turns on.

Most lease disputes were settled years earlier by a clause nobody negotiated hard, because the rent was the only number in the room at the time.

Patricia Tinn

Legal Service Director, Lawyerly

Portrait photo

Patricia Tinn

Legal Service Director, Lawyerly

The term is ending and nobody agrees what happens next Whether the lease was contracted out of the security of tenure provisions in Part II of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954. If it was not, the tenant has a right to renew and the landlord needs a statutory ground to oppose. The Law Commission is reviewing Part II and indicated in 2025 that contracting out should be retained.
A break option is being exercised Break conditions are read strictly. Vacant possession, payment of all sums due and the precise notice date decide whether the break works at all, and a near miss usually means the lease continues.
The service charge has jumped What the lease actually permits to be recharged, how it is apportioned, and whether the works are repair, which is usually recoverable, or improvement, which often is not.
A dilapidations claim has arrived The repairing covenant, the schedule of condition if one was taken at the start, and the statutory cap that limits damages by reference to the loss in value of the reversion.
An EPC rating is holding up a letting The minimum rating for continued commercial letting remains EPC E. The proposal now under consideration is EPC B from 2031 for buildings over 1,000 square metres, with smaller buildings staying at E, and it requires legislation before it takes effect.
A tenant wants to assign or underlet Whether consent can be withheld and on what basis, the conditions the lease imposes, and whether an authorised guarantee agreement will be required from the outgoing tenant.
OUR LEGAL EXPERTISE

We understand the business behind the property

A private landlord, an investor with an SPV and a managing agent face different legal questions. We act across the commercial property sector and shape our advice to the way you acquire, let and manage your assets. Longer leases and acquisitions are handled with our specialist property counsel.

  • Landlords and investors

    Individual and corporate landlords, family property companies and investors holding offices, retail, industrial and mixed-use assets.

  • Property and asset managers

    Managing agents, block and estate managers and asset managers acting for landlords and funds.

  • Developers and refurbishers

    Developers, refurbishment specialists and investors repositioning buildings for new tenants or uses.

  • Commercial agents and consultancies

    Letting and investment agents, surveyors and consultancies that need their own terms, agency agreements and compliance in order.

  • Occupiers taking space

    Businesses taking a lease, licence or serviced office arrangement who want the terms reviewed before they sign.

LEGAL SERVICES FOR PROPERTY BUSINESSES

Take care of the legal side of the portfolio

From day-to-day lease work to the questions particular to commercial property, our solicitors work alongside you so that your assets are protected, your income is secure and your documents say what you intend.

  • Commercial leases and licences

    Leases, licences to occupy, agreements for lease, renewals, surrenders, deeds of variation and contracting-out procedures under the 1954 Act.

  • Heads of terms and negotiation

    Drafting and negotiating heads of terms, rent, term, breaks, rent review, repair, alienation and service charge provisions.

  • Property management agreements

    Managing agent appointments, service charge frameworks, maintenance and facilities contracts and supplier terms.

  • Tenant arrears and default

    Rent recovery, statutory demands, forfeiture and relief, insolvency of tenants and enforcement of lease covenants.

  • Regulatory compliance

    Minimum energy efficiency standards, planning use classes, fire and building safety obligations, asbestos and landlord health and safety duties.

  • Data protection for landlords and agents

    Tenant and applicant data, referencing, CCTV and access systems, privacy notices and processor terms with agents and contractors.

  • Disputes and dilapidations

    Dilapidations, service charge and repairing disputes and disagreements with tenants, agents and contractors, resolved directly with the other party rather than through the courts.

  • Structures, SPVs and joint ventures

    Property holding companies, shareholders' agreements, joint venture terms, acquisitions and disposals of property businesses.

Legal risk check

Is your property business legally protected?

Our solicitors built this check around what a solid legal setup looks like for a property business: the foundations they put in place and the gaps they fix. Answer honestly and you will see where yours stands and where it needs strengthening.

About 3 minutes · Confidential

Your result

Where you are exposed

    The full report shows your score in each area, every gap with why it matters, and what to fix first.

    Your full report

    Unlock your full report

    A few details about the business and the report opens here, with every area scored and what to fix first.

    Preparing your full report

    Your full report

    Breakdown by area

    Next step

    Ready to act on this?

    A focused conversation with one of our founders about your priority gaps, a remediation plan you can act on, and fixed fees agreed up front.

    Where to focus first

    From your answers, these are the highest-impact gaps to address. Items tagged critical are the ones most likely to turn into a claim, a penalty or a lost customer.

      Section by section

      Your answers, your score, and why each area matters. Items with a marker are gaps worth attention.

      Now that you have the full picture, the next step is a short call to agree what to fix first.

      This report is generated from your self-reported answers and provides general information only. It does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. The regulatory landscape in this area is evolving rapidly. For advice specific to your circumstances, please speak with a qualified solicitor. © Lawyerly Ltd.

      CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

      What our clients say about working with us

      4.8 on Google

      A fresh approach. Exceptional value.

      A fresh approach to legal services. They've guided us through multiple planned and reactive cases for our business. Exceptional turnaround times and great value for money.

      Kerry Power Client Relations, Pantheon Property Services
      CONTACT US

      Talk to us about your property business

      Book a complimentary consultation with our team. We will take the time to understand your portfolio, your tenants and your plans, and explain how we can support you.

      Willem van der Merwe

      Co-Founder

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