I'm a landlord and my lease is coming to an end soon...

I’m a landlord and my lease is coming to an end soon, what should I do?

The first step is to think about whether you have granted a lease that has security of tenure under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 (‘LTA’).

Unprotected leases

If the lease is unprotected, then you are free to deal with the property as you wish.  

You could enter into a renewal lease with the existing tenant or you could advise the tenant to vacate the property by the expiration of the contractual term. 

We would recommend that you do not allow a tenant to remain at the property after the expiry of the contractual term, as the tenant may acquire security of tenure. 

Protected leases

If the lease is protected under the LTA, then you have fewer options going forward:

You can:

1. Enter into a renewal lease with the existing tenant; 
2. Allow the tenant to hold over under the terms of the existing lease; or
3. Serve a section 25 notice, either to put forward your proposals for the renewal lease or to object to the grant of a renewal lease.

Section 25 notice

There are only certain (and fairly limited) grounds for objecting to the grant of a new lease under a section 25 notice, for example non-payment of rent, the property is in disrepair, you want to redevelop or demolish the property or you, the landlord wants to occupy the property for yourself. 

We would suggest you seek legal advice before serving a section 25 notice to ensure you are able to validly serve the notice.

If your lease is coming to an end and you need support with the lease renewal process, please get in touch.