Voted the UK’s Best Higher Education Provider, BPP is one of Europe’s leading providers of professional education and specialises in accountancy and law. Occupying over 20 properties across the country including London, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and Bristol, BPP wanted to agree new lease terms with its landlord and avoid the cost or disruption of having to find new office accommodation.

Jaggard Macland helps BPP negotiate new office lease terms

The Challenge

Occupying a small office on which the lease had expired, BPP wished to remain in occupation but did not want to enter a long term commitment. It also wanted to secure agreement from the landlord that it could share the accommodation with another party.

The Solution

Jaggard Macland were instructed to negotiate terms for a new lease with the landlord’s agent. Careful analysis of the current lease was undertaken to confirm it benefitted from the protection of the Landlord and Tenant Act. This would mean that BPP, as current occupiers of the commercial property, were entitled to renew their lease unless the landlord could prove a ground for possession.

The landlord’s agent proposed new lease terms which not only included a substantial increase in rent but also a proposal that the new lease would exclude the Landlord and Tenant Act rights.

Jaggard Macland leveraged its deep understanding of the legal position to negotiate effectively on behalf of BPP, agreeing a package of terms which reduced the landlords’ rental expectations in line

with market value, secured a short term two year lease, retained the Landlord and Tenant Act protection and gave BPP the ability to share the accommodation with another party when they did not require all of the space. Detailed Heads of Terms were agreed and solicitors instructed.

Since all leases are granted for a fixed period of time, it is essential that occupiers understand their rights to require the landlord to grant a new lease and appoint the right agent to rigorously negotiate on their behalf to ensure the terms reflect the needs of the business and current market conditions.