For business owners, preparing your business for sale and making it as attractive as possible for potential investors and acquirers is an important exercise to be considered as part of the wider preparation for commercial due diligence.

The Act deals with how landlords and tenants of commercial premises should conduct themselves in relation to rent arrears’ negotiations on debts that were accrued during the pandemic, known as a “Protected Debt”. Arbitration can be sought in the event of failure to agree but there is a deadline of 24 September.

The Government has announced extra protection for businesses by placing a moratorium on commercial landlords’ sanctions for at least three months so that those who cannot pay their rent because of cashflow difficulties related to the coronavirus will be protected from eviction.

Requests from commercial tenants for rental holidays in the light of a drop in business caused by the coronavirus pandemic have become commonplace. Analysis indicates that overall rent collection for the March quarter fell by over 25% in the UK.

When negotiating terms at the start of any commercial relationship, focussing on how you and the other party can terminate that relationship might seem counterintuitive. However, businesses should always try to ensure they have contractual rights that allow them to exit from agreements that cease to be commercially/economically viable.

Our commercial lawyers are specialists with a wealth of varied industry and sector experience, gained both in private practice and in industry.

While there are numerous points to consider when negotiating a commercial lease, here are five key points to consider from both a landlord and a tenant perspective.

The Government has now published the long-awaited Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Bill which contains details of the proposed arbitration scheme intended to deal with unpaid rent arrears accrued during the pandemic.

The Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 (“LTA”) is not a new piece of legislation. It grants commercial tenants statutory rights, giving them the right to renew their lease on substantially the same terms if they remain in occupation at the end of the term.

Now that the World Health Organisation has declared the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) a global health emergency, we consider the impact on businesses that may be affected and what companies should be looking at in order to protect their operations.