Possession Claims

Our team of property litigators in London and Bishop’s Stortford have extensive experience of lease renewals under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 and have taken a number of cases to trial.

We act for landlords and tenants, and although the vast majority of lease renewal applications settle following negotiations, we have links to valuers and specialist counsel if a determination by the court is unavoidable.

We are familiar with the principles underpinning the rental valuation undertaken by the court in the context of uncontested lease renewals where the landlord agrees to grant a new lease and the process by which a judge will decide the terms of the new lease.

We have also acted for landlords seeking to obtain possession for the purposes of re-development or their own occupation of commercial premises and we can provide detailed advice on the evidence that will need to be put together by the time of the trial to secure possession.

This experience also assists us in acting for tenants seeking to challenge applications by their landlords.

How can we help you?

In connection with Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 renewals, we can assist you with the following:

• Serving statutory notices and counter-notices proposing the terms of a new lease or opposing its grant.

• Putting you in contact with professionals such as valuers and counsel with specialist experience in these cases and providing detailed instructions.

• Resolving cases using Professional Arbitration on Court Terms for unopposed lease renewals and mediation in more complicated or intractable cases.

• Working with our specialist planning and construction colleagues to prepare or critique cases where the landlord seeks possession of the premises.

• Making applications for interim rent during or following the conclusion of a lease renewal.

• Assisting clients with making substantial amendments to existing leases which might involve the inclusion of development break clauses, pandemic rent suspension clauses, turnover rents and so-called green lease provisions.

• Supporting landlords, tenants and their surveyors to agree on the terms of a new lease before the need to serve a notice arises.

If you have any questions about a 1954 Act lease renewal, please feel free to contact our team on 0345 646 0406 or fill in our online enquiry form and a member of our team will be in touch.