lease advisory

“You don’t get what you deserve,
                  you get what you negotiate”

Douglas Duff has a comprehensive knowledge of both Landlord and Tenant Law and case law and, whether for an owner or occupier of a single property or a portfolio of properties, we adopt a pragmatic and commonsense approach in the advice given to clients on all leasing matters.

Our service:

• Has regard to current legislation and case law when advising clients of procedures on termination or lease renewal including whether and when to serve appropriate Notices. Where the lease is renewed, we carry out extensive research into current rent settlements and transactions to ensure the best outcome for the client.


• Will review the lease and commercial rent review provisions within, advising of time limits where appropriate; carry out detailed research and analysis of open market lettings current rent settlements ensuring a satisfactory outcome for the client.


• Will, where agreement of rent or lease terms has not been possible, advise the client whether the evidence of the case is sufficient to support a referral to an Arbitrator/Independent Expert or to court, and prepare the required Expert Report for such purposes.


• Provides advice as to whether re-gearing of leases will enhance our client’s position having regard to current and anticipated future market conditions.

We deliver the right result for our clients by:

• Having a detailed knowledge of Landlord and Tenant lease agreement legislation and case law and by carrying out thorough research and analysis of comparable evidence.


• Providing accurate and well researched advice to clients and negotiating in a firm but fair manner.


• Liaising closely with our Commercial Agency Division to ensure we are fully aware of current demands and trends in the market place.


• Utilising the many years of experience of the personnel within the Division regarding commercial premises leases.

Douglas Duff provides a comprehensive range of ‘hands on’ services to meet the needs of building occupiers and owners, including:

• Commercial rent reviews


• Lease renewal


• Lease restructuring


• Dispute resolution


• Repairs and dilapidations


• Service charges


• Tenant’s fitting-out works and alterations


• Rating appeals


• Statutory compliance


• Planning, use and title issues

In contentious and often challenging circumstances, we aim to produce the optimum solutions for our clients.