Landlords of commercial property in England face further extensions to temporary laws that protect their commercial tenants from specified legal actions against them to recover rent arrears - and a new and unexpected ringfencing and arbitration procedure.

Developers, property owners and funders will welcome changes to planning laws that permit developments in England altering use of property from commercial business and service (Class E) to residential (Class C3), under a new Class MA (Mercantile to Abode), provided certain conditions are met.

Businesses who lease premises but whose workforce may not all return to work when COVID-19 restrictions are eased are considering whether to look for smaller premises, or to reduce the space they rent – but need to know how they can get out of their existing lease, or vary it, to achieve what they want.

The government announced on 10th March 2021 that it would again extend the temporary ban on forfeiture (termination of a lease) for non-payment of rent from 31st March 2021 until 30th June 2021.

Ramsdens Corporate team, led by Partner Richard Dean with support from Emma Spragg, Gareth Dando in our Employment team and Simon Mills, in our Commercial Property, advised David and Adam Mosley on Huddersfield based Hartford Holdings' acquisition of Traymate Products Limited, for an undisclosed sum as part of its ongoing expansion.

The pandemic caused by Covid-19 and the resulting restrictions has touched all of us personally and in the way we conduct business.

​Ramsdens Commercial Property department, led by Rhys Craddock, advised on the sale of industrial complex, Holme Bank Mills in Mirfield to New Hall Properties (Hagg Lane) Ltd.

Businesses whose customers must pay a fee if they end their contracts early, and landlords asking tenants for fees for dilapidations or before they can exercise a break clause, must now consider whether to charge VAT, as HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) change their approach to such payments, and review their contracts and leases to see if changes need to be made.