Retail property
With an ever-changing retail landscape, expert advice keeps high street trading sustainable.
MRICS Chartered Surveyor · Tenant-side only · No landlord conflicts
Commercial rent review and lease renewal surveyor for occupiers
Chris McGarrigle MRICS helps retail, leisure and hospitality occupiers challenge proposed rents, protect renewal terms and reduce dilapidations liabilities across the UK and Ireland.
40+ years in property · Chartered since 1989 · £6m+ rent saved in five years
40+
Years in property
1989
Chartered since
£6m+
Rent saved in five years
UK & Eire
England, Scotland, NI, Ireland
Specialist tenant-side property advice
Start with the subject that applies to you.
Looking for a commercial rent review surveyor in London, Manchester or Birmingham? Each market has its own page, or see everywhere we act.
Services
Focused entirely on tenant representation.
An academic in real estate and a Chartered Surveyor dealing with retail property for over forty years, chartered since 1989. If you need initial free advice on any of the following, get in touch.
Guides
Detailed guidance on the issues occupiers face
26 plain-English guides on rent reviews, 1954 Act lease renewals, dilapidations and expert witness work — written from forty years of tenant-side retail practice. Initial advice on any of them is free.
- Rent review
Commercial Rent Review Surveyor
Chartered surveyor acting for tenants at commercial rent review — evidence, negotiation, arbitration and expert determination across the UK and Ireland.
Read guide - Lease renewal & 1954 Act
Lease Renewal Surveyor
Tenant-side lease renewal surveyor: 1954 Act renewals, notices, terms and rent negotiated and, where needed, contested through the courts.
Read guide - Lease renewal & 1954 Act
Commercial Lease Renewal
How commercial lease renewal works for business tenants: protected and contracted-out tenancies, notices, new rent, new terms and interim rent.
Read guide - Rent review
Rent Review Surveyor for Tenants
A rent review surveyor acting for tenants only — no landlord instructions, no conflicts. Evidence-led negotiation across retail, leisure and F&B.
Read guide - Lease renewal & 1954 Act
Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 Lease Renewal
Part II of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 explained for business tenants: security of tenure, Sections 25, 26 and 30, interim rent and compensation.
Read guide - Lease renewal & 1954 Act
Section 25 Notice
Received a Section 25 notice? What it means, the difference between friendly and hostile notices, the deadlines that bind you and how to respond.
Read guide
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 qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 1989 and has since built over forty 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
RymanH SamuelErnest JonesMcColl'sBargain BoozeCostcutterDomino'sTim Hortons
Testimonials
What clients say
Swipe for more →
News & Insight
Writing on the high street
Where the Shoppers Go: A Shifting Centre
The traditional prime retail areas are feeling the chill as footfall quietly migrates to the peripheries. It's a slow but steady shift.
A Letting Board's Silent Story
A well-placed letting agent's board on the high street is more than just an advertisement. It’s a silent, yet informative, barometer of commercial life.
Uneven Fortunes of Our Market Towns
I've been thinking about the stark differences between market towns, some flourishing while others face decline. It's a complex picture, not easily simplified.
FAQ
Common questions
What does a commercial rent review surveyor do?
A rent review surveyor gathers comparable evidence, interprets the review clause in your lease and negotiates the reviewed rent with the landlord's surveyor. If it cannot be agreed, the matter goes to arbitration or independent expert determination, where the surveyor prepares and argues your case.
Do you act for landlords as well as tenants?
No. McG & Co acts for tenants and occupiers only. That single-sided approach avoids conflicts of interest and means the evidence and arguments are always built to protect the occupier's position.
What is a Section 25 notice and how long do I have to respond?
A Section 25 notice is served by the landlord under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 to end or renew a protected business tenancy. It must give between six and twelve months' notice. Deadlines are strict, so take advice as soon as one lands — losing a date can lose your security of tenure.
How much does an initial consultation cost?
Initial advice is free. Send the lease, the schedule or the notice and you will get a straight answer on where you stand, and only then a fee proposal if formal instruction makes sense.
Can I challenge a dilapidations schedule from my landlord?
Yes. Most schedules are overstated. The claim is capped by the diminution in the value of the landlord's reversion under Section 18(1) of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927, and items are often unsupported by the repairing covenant. A properly evidenced response typically reduces settlement significantly.
Which areas do you cover?
England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland — from single shops and restaurants through to national retail and leisure portfolios.
More detail in the guide library.
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.
Send an enquiry
Tell me a little about the property and I’ll come back to you, usually the same day.