Retail property
With an ever-changing retail landscape, expert advice keeps high street trading sustainable.
MRICS Chartered Surveyor · Tenant side only
Retail lease renewal & rent review surveyors for occupiers.
Expert help on commercial lease renewals, rent reviews, dilapidations and 1954 Act claims — saving tenants money and protecting their terms across the UK and Ireland.
Lease renewals·Rent reviews·Dilapidations·Expert witness
30+
Years in retail property
£6m+
Rent saved in 5 years
UK & Eire
England, Scotland, NI, Ireland
MRICS
Chartered & academic
Services
Focused entirely on tenant representation.
An academic in real estate and a Chartered Surveyor dealing with retail property for over thirty years. If you need initial free advice on any of the following, get in touch.
01
Lease Renewals
1954 Act renewals negotiated and, where needed, contested — protecting terms as well as rent.
02
Rent Reviews
Evidence-led review negotiation, arbitration and expert witness work across the UK and Ireland.
03
Dilapidations
Schedules challenged and settled at exit, keeping end-of-lease liability proportionate.
04
Planning & Development
Advice on change of use, consents and development potential for occupied retail space.
05
Part One Claims & CPO
Compensation claims and compulsory purchase work for affected businesses and occupiers.
06
Town Centre Regeneration
Place management insight for high streets, landlords' schemes and public sector partners.
Sectors
Where we work
Leisure & F&B
Experienced across food, beverage and leisure — reviews, renewals and general property advice.
Landlord & Tenant
Book a 30-minute online consultation on a specific property issue, by Teams.
About
Chris McGarrigle
BSc (Hons), PG Cert, PG Dip, MA, MSc, MRICS, IRRV (Hons), MCIArb, MIPM, FHEA, FRSA
An urbanist, a surveyor and an academic — Chris is a Senior Lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, where he is course leader on the MSc Real Estate. He is also an experienced Chartered Surveyor with over thirty years of practice in retail property. He holds an MSc in Place Management and an MA in Planning & the Built Environment, alongside postgraduate diplomas in planning and urban regeneration and in built environment research.
Previously a senior lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University and Birmingham City University, he has taught the Law of Lease Renewals and Rent Reviews under the 1954 Act, Dilapidations, Compulsory Purchase and related professional practice.
He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, IRRV and the Institute of Place Management. Property is in his blood: from retail leasing to rent reviews, arbitration and expert witness work, saving over £6 million in retail rents in the last five years across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland.
Acted for
- Ryman
- H Samuel
- Ernest Jones
- McColl's
- Bargain Booze
- Costcutter
- Domino's
- Tim Hortons
Testimonials
What clients say
“Chris took a lease renewal we had braced ourselves for and turned it around completely. The rent settled well below our budget and the terms were fairer than anything we had negotiated in-house.
Operations Director
UK fashion retailer
“Clear, commercial advice with none of the usual jargon. He knows the high street inside out and argued our rent review case with real authority.
Property Manager
Multi-site F&B operator
“Expert witness work of the highest standard. Thoroughly prepared, credible under pressure and genuinely a pleasure to work alongside.
Partner
Regional commercial property team
“We brought Chris in for a dilapidations claim at the end of our lease. The schedule was challenged, the settlement reduced substantially and the landlord's surveyor accepted every counter-argument.
Retail Director
Independent pharmacy group
“Across a portfolio of stores, the savings on rent reviews and renewals have been significant. More importantly, the relationship with each landlord is still intact — that balance matters to us.
Managing Director
Specialist convenience store chain
“A rare mix of academic depth and practical high-street experience. Chris gave us the evidence and the confidence to push back on a hostile lease renewal.
CEO
Leisure & hospitality brand
News & Insight
Writing on the high street
“Well‑intentioned” rent reform may choke off investment — and stall Crewe’s revival
In July 2025, the government quietly included a provision in the English Devolution & Community Empowerment Bill to ban upward‑only rent...
A Fairer Future: Why the End of Upward-Only Rent Reviews is Good News for Occupiers
The government's decision to ban upward-only rent reviews (UORRs) represents one of the most impactful reforms in commercial property...
High Street grant scheme in Crewe - Don't Sign until you speak to me..... don't be a big mug!
Before You Sign: The Hidden Risks of Taking a Lease with a Cheshire East High Street Grant The Cheshire East High Street Grant in Crewe...
Contact
Small business focused. Initial advice is free.
For a 30-minute online consultation via Teams on a particular property issue, drop an email to schedule a time.