Business Leases

[Epiphany74]

I am planning to buy a coffee shop. There are 18 months left on the least before a "break point" then a further 5 years after that. I'm not quite sure what this means. Can the landlord cancel the lease at the break point or is it a time when the rent will be reviewed? What happens after the 5 years are up - can I just be asked to leave or does a standing business tenent have rights?

[themas]

You need to get a copy of the lease and very likely need independent professional advice on what it means because they are often very difficult to understand without a knowledge of the relevant law.

Everything depends on the precise wording, but generally a break point entitles either party (or maybe only the tenant) to end the lease by giving whatever notice the lease specifies. It is not necessarily associated with a rent review, but in the case you quote it very well may be as the lease would otherwise be running for 61/2 years without a rent review, which is most uncommon.

Most commercial leases give the tenant the right to renew at the end of the term but sometimes this right is excluded by a procedure carried out at the start of the lease.

I would advise you not to go into this without using a commercial law solicitor.