What commercial landlords need to understand about reinstatement clauses in lease renewals
When a commercial lease approaches its end, the question of what a tenant leaves behind and what they take with them can become one of the most contested and financially significant issues in the entire landlord-tenant relationship. Reinstatement clauses sit at the heart of this question, yet they are frequently misunderstood, poorly drafted, or treated as an…
Read MoreStartups as future anchor tenants
The commercial property market is facing a genuine reckoning. Office demand has fragmented in the wake of hybrid working. Retailers have restructured, surrendered space and in some cases disappeared entirely. Household names that once anchored buildings and business parks have downsized, entered CVAs or vacated without warning. The lesson of recent years is that covenant strength, that long-cherished proxy…
Read MoreGovernment to ban the use of retentions in construction contracts
For decades, the withholding of a retention payment has been a common feature of construction contracts across the UK and is provided for in many standard forms including JCT and NEC. Contractors have worked under a system in which a percentage of their agreed contract sum was withheld by clients and main contractors as security against defective work. For contractors lower down the supply chain, that has long meant operating with money earned but…
Read MoreHow the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 has ended the AST trap for leaseholders
Buried in the Housing Act 1988 was a legal quirk with nothing to do with short-term renting, and everything to do with the security of people who owned their homes on long leases. For years it caused real difficulties for buyers, sellers and mortgage lenders. Quietly, in the background, without most of those affected ever knowing it was there.…
Read MoreRethinking the Workplace: an interview with Meirion Anderson
This month we interview Meirion Anderson, who originally specialised in civil engineering, but, following his MBA at Imperial College, he turned his attention to workplace and change management, focusing on people and business within a building. What is your background and experience in the property industry? My profession is Civil Engineering with most of my…
Read MoreSorting access rights early: why developers cannot afford to leave it until later
On many developments, access appears to work until it is tested. A route exists. Vehicles can get onto the site. There is a working understanding with a neighbouring owner. On that basis, focus shifts quickly to planning, design and viability, with the expectation that any formal access arrangements can be dealt with later. It is often…
Read MoreManaging residual liabilities at the end of a development
At practical completion, the last unit is handed over. The marketing suite is dismantled. The funder is repaid and attention turns, as it should, to the next acquisition. From the outside, the development is complete. I wish this was the picture for every development, but it very rarely is. Legally, however, completion and conclusion are…
Read MoreThe Renters’ Rights Act 2025: a turning point for the private rented sector
The private rented sector has been subject to sustained political and regulatory scrutiny for a number of years. Rising rents, concerns about tenancy security, and the limited ability of tenants to challenge decisions affecting their homes have all contributed to pressure for reform. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is the legislative response: a substantial overhaul…
Read MoreKaren’s trip to Cannes: MIPIM 2026 reflections
This year was my first time back in Cannes since before the pandemic, and I was curious to see how the event had evolved in that time. It was busier, broader, and if the sunshine counts for anything, brighter than ever. Cautious optimism was the sentiment I encountered across the week. There is genuine appetite…
Read MoreWhen land control becomes visible
Most developers will already have a sense of how much of a scheme’s value sits in control rather than ownership. You can spend months securing a position, negotiating terms, and taking early-stage risk before anything appears on title. During that period, timing and limited visibility tend to work in your favour. Others may suspect activity, but they…
Read More