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
Victoria Leeds, Trinity and Briggate hold the prime retail rents; secondary streets have seen persistent vacancy and much softer effective rents.
The Leeds office market shows the same fitted-versus-secondary split seen elsewhere, with long rent-free periods propping up headline figures.
Across Yorkshire, smaller town centres have high vacancy, and 1954 Act renewals are frequently the mechanism by which occupiers reset rents to reality.
Pitches and markets covered
- Briggate, Trinity Leeds and Victoria Leeds
- Call Lane and Greek Street leisure
- Wellington Place and city-centre offices
- Yorkshire town centres — York, Sheffield, Harrogate, Wakefield
Specialist advice for Leeds 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 Leeds market.
Common questions
Can a 1954 Act renewal reduce my rent?
Yes. A renewal sets the rent the open market would pay at the valuation date, so where the market has fallen the renewal rent can be lower than the passing rent — unlike an upward-only review.
What happens if we cannot agree the renewal rent?
The court determines it, but very few cases reach a hearing. Preserving your position with the right notices and, where needed, a timely court application keeps the negotiation grounded in what a court would actually order.
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.
- Commercial Rent Review SurveyorChartered surveyor acting for tenants at commercial rent review — evidence, negotiation, arbitration and expert determination across the UK and Ireland.
- Rent Review ArbitrationHow rent review arbitration works under the Arbitration Act 1996: appointment, directions, submissions, awards, costs and when to settle instead.
- Commercial Lease ExpiryWhat to do before a commercial lease expires: renewal rights, break notices, dilapidations exposure, reinstatement and exit planning.
- Section 26 NoticeA Section 26 request lets the tenant start the 1954 Act renewal and choose the timing. When serving first helps, when it backfires, and the rules.
Talk it through