Whether you’re establishing a new commercial tenancy or renewing an existing commercial lease, our commercial property solicitors at HRJ Foreman Laws provide all the legal advice you need.
Our teams in Hitchin, Old Harlow, and Welwyn Garden City work with both landlords and commercial tenants, and will guide you through every aspect of your commercial lease, ensuring your interests are protected.
Our commercial property solicitors advise on all aspects of commercial leases, helping you to understand your obligations and rights.
We provide legal advice for:
Expertly preparing and negotiating complete lease agreements tailored to your specific property and business needs, setting clear terms from the outset.
See the top 5 questions and answers about commercial leases.
Professional guidance through the lease renewal process, securing favourable terms and advising on your rights and obligations, including statutory protections.
Read the top ten things landlords need to consider when preparing a commercial lease.
Seamless handling of the legal processes for transferring existing leases to new tenants or setting up subletting arrangements.
Preparing complete agreements that protect your interests and outline the terms before the formal lease completion, often for properties under construction or refurbishment.
Providing crucial advice on the drafting, negotiation, and exercise of break clauses, ensuring you understand your options for early termination.
Expert guidance through rent review processes and negotiations, whether you are a landlord seeking to increase rent or a tenant challenging a proposed increase.
Professional advice on tenant rights and security of tenure provisions, helping tenants understand their right to remain in occupation and guiding landlords on valid grounds for opposition.
Advising landlords and tenants on repairing obligations, maintenance, redecoration, and dilapidations claims, from initial schedules to final settlements.
Drafting and negotiating licences for property modifications, ensuring clarity on responsibilities and future reinstatement.
Managing and advising on rent deposit arrangements, including the drafting of rent deposit deeds.
Expert guidance on flexible, short-term occupancy arrangements such as Licences to Occupy and Tenancies at Will.
Drafting and negotiating preliminary lease agreement terms, ensuring all commercial points are captured accurately before legal drafting.
Full support when a lease is connected to buying or selling an existing business, ensuring smooth transfer and assignment.
Providing ongoing advice on estate management matters, including easements, covenants, and licences.
Choosing HRJ Foreman Laws means partnering with a team committed to making your commercial lease transaction as clear and stress-free as possible.
Here’s what sets our approach apart:
Experience acting for landlords and tenants – We bring extensive experience, acting for both landlords and tenants across a diverse range of commercial properties, including offices, shops, restaurants, and industrial units. This means we can offer insightful, practical legal advice tailored to your needs.
Proactive and thorough – Our dedicated team provides focused and efficient legal support. We take a proactive stance, identifying and resolving potential issues early. Our meticulous approach to drafting and reviewing ensures your lease clearly defines responsibilities, minimises grey areas, and provides robust protection against future disputes or unexpected liabilities.
Integrated business insight – Commercial leases often have wider business implications. Our commercial property team works closely with our company and commercial solicitors to provide legal advice for your lease and any related company law matters. We are your ‘one-stop shop’ for property and company law.
Clear communication and collaboration – We believe in working closely with you. We keep you fully informed at every stage, explaining complex legal concepts in plain language so you always understand the progress and implications of your lease.
Tailored advice – No two leases are identical. We always tailor our approach to your unique property goals and commercial objectives, ensuring your lease aligns with your specific needs.
Local knowledge, broad reach – While rooted in our Hertfordshire (Hitchin, Welwyn Garden City) and Essex (Old Harlow) locations, our expertise allows us to assist clients with commercial property interests across the UK and internationally.
Thorough legal due diligence is the most important step a developer can take before committing to the purchase of a site. Identifying risks early protects the viability of the project, prevents delays, and ensures that any agreement for sale, option, promotion, or joint venture is structured on a sound legal foundation.
Nick Davies, commercial property solicitor at HRJ Foreman Laws Solicitors talks about an Option, Promotion, and Overage Agreement, and how to structure a successful site assembly.
On 27 January 2026, the Government confirmed it will cap ground rents at £250 per year for existing leasehold homes in England and Wales. It’s a major step in leasehold reform aimed at reducing costs for owners and making properties easier to sell.
Over the next 18 months, 3 important legal updates are set to directly impact business operational costs & the value of commercial property assets.
We are proud to share some exciting news from the recent Hertfordshire Law Society Awards dinner, where our very own Orlagh Willis, Commercial Property Solicitor, received special acknowledgment. Orlagh was commended by the Law Society for achieving outstanding SQE (Solicitors Qualifying Examination) results, highlighting her exceptional performance in these rigorous examinations.
Nick Davies, Director at HRJ Foreman Laws Solicitors considers the legalities of buying or leasing premises in the food and beverage sector. There are so many things to consider when you are running a restaurant, bar or cafe but with the right legal advice from a solicitor that understands the property market, you should be able to make the right property choice for your business and get on with running it your way.
On 19 November 2024, the Law Commission published a significant consultation paper, the first step in a two-part review of Part 2 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 (LTA 1954). Chris Hook outlines the key elements of the consultation and what it could mean for landlords, tenants, and the wider property
The Infrastructure Levy was introduced by the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023. In this article we discuss the legislation and what it means for property developers.
Landlords should be aware of some important aspects when preparing a commercial lease for their tenants. A generic lease is unlikely to cover everything that is needed. This can lead to unwanted disputes between the landlord and the tenant.
Many businesses are using or operating from rented premises. This means they will have agreed to the terms of a commercial lease and will be paying a market rent. But what exactly does signing a commercial lease involve? What should businesses know about a commercial lease?
We have opened a new office in Old Harlow, Essex. The expansion into the town is to provide landowners, commercial landlords, commercial tenants, and property developers easier access to the firm’s commercial property legal services.
Nicholas Davies, Commercial Property Solicitor at HRJ Foreman Laws Solicitors highlights some of the most important things landlords and tenants should know about dilapidations clauses in a commercial lease.
Harjeet Pansear, commercial property solicitor at HRJ Foreman Laws Solicitors takes a closer look at the 'quiet enjoyment' and 'derogation from grant' concepts in a commercial lease. How can they can affect landlords and tenants?
A ‘Green’ Commercial Property Market. Since the UK Government’s demand for sustainability and a shift towards achieving carbon neutral status by 2050, the commercial property market will undoubtedly see significant changes over the next decade. Emma White, commercial property paralegal at HRJ Foreman Laws solicitors...
If you are entering into a lease for a commercial premises, it is important to understand what your responsibilities will be if you want, or need, to assign the remaining term of the lease in future, says Orlagh Willis, commercial property paralegal at HRJ Foreman...
We have previously discussed the effect of the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 on lease extensions after 30 June 2022 (being the date that the act came into force). This limited the ground rent to a peppercorn for all leases granted after that date...
If you own or are buying a property with a rentcharge, it is important to understand the implications, says Nick Davies, commercial property solicitor at HRJ Foreman Laws Solicitors. What is a rentcharge? A Rentcharge relates to freehold property and should not be confused with ground...
Read on to find out more about The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022.
If you are looking to take a commercial property lease or if you are looking to buy a commercial freehold, then negotiating the sale contract or the terms of the lease is an important part of the process. But there are other aspects of a commercial property lease that you should know about before you sign. Andrew Dongworth, company and commercial solicitor at HRJ Foreman Laws Solicitors, Welwyn Garden City office talks about three important areas to consider.
At the end of March 2021, the Housing Secretary announced changes to permitted development rules in England. These changes, effective from 1st August 2021, allow the conversion of certain commercial properties to residential use without requiring full planning permission, subject to prior approval and specific...
The government wants private housebuilders, housing associations and councils to increase annual construction to 300,000 a year by 2025. Nicholas Davies, Partner and Commercial Property Solicitor at HRJ Foreman Laws Solicitors, looks at the latest statistics and highlights some key considerations for landowners and developers....
Over the last year many businesses have not been trading because of the lockdowns. This has inevitably caused significant disruption to business revenue. During this period, the Government has implemented several measures including: the prevention of landlords of commercial properties from being able to evict...
As we reach the end of the financial year, you’ll have a good idea of your business goals to March 2022. Are you ready to achieve them, or do some areas still need a bit of a spring clean? Read our top legal tips to...
What gift could you give to your business this valentine’s day? What about a legal health check, protection against legal risk and being ready for the future? Read our top 5 reasons to love the legal health of your business. To minimise legal risks As...
Whether your business year starts now, or you are in your final quarter of your financial business year, you will have a good idea of what direction you want to take your business in 2021. What does the future have in store for you? Whatever...
Landlords, what are your options when a tenant is in rent arrears? One of the most stressful challenges for a commercial landlord is dealing with a tenant who has stopped paying rent. Unpaid invoices directly impact your cash flow and profitability, and you need to...
The Commercial Property team at HRJ Foreman Laws Solicitors were appointed by Croud Inc Limited on the lease of over 5,000 sq ft of office space at the newly redeveloped Trinity, 39 Tabernacle Street, London. HRJ Foreman Laws worked alongside Croud’s property agents, Kontor. The...
With economic pressures affecting businesses across the UK, keeping up with commercial rent payments can be a significant challenge. If your cash flow is tight and you are facing potential arrears, it is vital to act quickly. The temporary protections that existed during the pandemic...
As confusion over Brexit continues, we’re meeting many property developers and landowners who are concerned about what it could mean to the value of land and its development costs. Development prices are generally valued in reverse – what will the development sell for? Less what...
Continued pressure on housing means garden developments are becoming increasingly common. However, before you start the work there are some key legal issues you’ll need to consider. Planning vs legal rights Some people believe planning permission gives them the green light, but remember the land...
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01462 458711
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01279 709100
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