The law that applies here
Business tenancies here are governed by Part II of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954. Unless the lease was contracted out, you have security of tenure: the tenancy continues after the contractual expiry date and can only be ended by a Section 25 notice from the landlord or a Section 26 request from you. Interim rent under Section 24A runs from the earliest date the notice could have specified.
Local market context
Bullring, Grand Central and New Street carry the prime rents, with a steep fall away into the traditional streets around them.
Long-running city-centre regeneration and infrastructure work has generated compulsory purchase and Part 1 compensation claims for occupiers affected by disturbance and by physical factors from new public works.
West Midlands industrial and trade counter rents have risen strongly, making upward-only reviews on older stock a recurring pressure point.
Pitches and markets covered
- Bullring, Grand Central and New Street
- High Street, Corporation Street and Colmore Row
- Brindleyplace and Jewellery Quarter leisure
- Regional town centres — Solihull, Wolverhampton, Coventry
Specialist advice for Birmingham tenants
The detail of each subject sits on its own page: commercial rent reviews, lease renewals and commercial dilapidations, the landlord's Section 25 notice and the tenant's Section 26 request. This page covers what is specific to the Birmingham market.
Where a Birmingham lease is ending rather than renewing, see tenant dilapidations advice.
Common questions
My business is affected by a road scheme. Can I claim?
Possibly. Part 1 of the Land Compensation Act 1973 allows claims for depreciation caused by physical factors from new or altered public works, and occupiers displaced by compulsory purchase have separate rights to disturbance compensation.
Does shopping centre evidence apply to my unit?
Only after adjustment. Position, level, proximity to anchors and the service charge burden all differ within a single scheme, and those differences have to be reflected before a comparable is useful.
Relevant guides
- Retail Rent ReviewRetail rent reviews for shop occupiers: Zone A analysis, devaluing incentives, turnover rents, and negotiating on high streets and in schemes.
- Lease Renewal SurveyorTenant-side lease renewal surveyor: 1954 Act renewals, notices, terms and rent negotiated and, where needed, contested through the courts.
- Part 1 ClaimsPart 1 claims under the Land Compensation Act 1973 — compensation for depreciation caused by noise, dust, vibration and light from new public works.
- Compulsory Purchase (CPO)CPO advice for occupiers and owners: market value, disturbance, loss payments and relocation compensation, negotiated with acquiring authorities.
- Commercial Dilapidations Surveyor for TenantsTenant-side commercial dilapidations advice from an MRICS chartered surveyor: schedules, quantified demands, the Section 18 cap, the Protocol, Scott Schedules and settlement.
Talk it through