Ben Barrison shares his thoughts on potential reforms to the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954
Partner and Head of Real Estate Disputes, Ben Barrison, shared his thoughts with CoStar, Property Week, and BE News, on The Law Commission launching a consultation on potential reforms to the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954.
The overall consultation focuses on Part 2 of the Act, dealing with ‘security of tenure’ for business tenancies. Discussion points focus on the security of tenure model, alternatives to this, and how this reflects the rise of online retail and sustainability needs. This follows 70 years on from the introduction of the Act, and 20 years since the last review.
‘Of the four options they are considering, a modernised contracting-out regime, to reflect the 20 years of tech advancement since it was last updated, would be an important first step and this would retain the balance the Act brings to commercial landlord and tenant relationships. Apart from security of tenure, there is a great deal of additional work for the Law Commission to do in terms of the other mechanics of the 1954 Act to deliver a modern regime for determining the lease terms and opposing renewal/termination cases. The 1954 Act is currently too slow and cumbersome for the digital age, but the overarching intent remains good.’
Read the full articles here on CoStar, Property Week, and BE News.
