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
Cabot Circus and Broadmead carry the mainstream retail rents, while Clifton, Gloucester Road and Stokes Croft price on independent trade with limited directly comparable lettings.
The harbourside and city-centre leisure market supports strong turnover but carries high fit-out and repairing burdens that show up at exit.
South West town centres and coastal locations are highly seasonal, which matters when assessing sustainable trade for a licensed or hospitality valuation.
Pitches and markets covered
- Cabot Circus and Broadmead
- Park Street, Clifton and Whiteladies Road
- Harbourside and Wapping Wharf leisure
- South West town centres — Bath, Exeter, Cheltenham
Specialist advice for Bristol 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 Bristol market.
Common questions
There is no direct comparable for my unit. What then?
You build the argument from the evidence that exists, adjusted transparently: adjacent pitches, older lettings indexed forward, and trade-based cross-checks. A clearly reasoned adjustment beats a superficially close but wrongly analysed comparable.
Can I use a break clause instead of renewing?
Often, but break conditions are unforgiving — vacant possession, payment of all rent due and compliance with covenants are frequently prerequisites. Failing one invalidates the break, so the notice and the conditions need checking early.
Relevant guides
- Commercial Lease RenewalHow commercial lease renewal works for business tenants: protected and contracted-out tenancies, notices, new rent, new terms and interim rent.
- Break Clauses in a Commercial LeaseHow break clauses in commercial leases work: notice periods, conditions, vacant possession, rent apportionment and the mistakes that make a break fail.
- Commercial Rent Review SurveyorChartered surveyor acting for tenants at commercial rent review — evidence, negotiation, arbitration and expert determination across the UK and Ireland.
- Leisure & F&BProperty advice for leisure and F&B operators — restaurants, bars, cafés, gyms and entertainment: rent reviews, renewals, dilapidations and exits.
- Schedule of DilapidationsWhat a schedule of dilapidations is, interim vs terminal schedules, the Dilapidations Protocol, and how tenants cut an inflated claim down to its real cost.
Talk it through