Caroline Shea QC & James Tipler consider the likely impact of a new pilot scheme on unopposed business lease renewal claims
- Under a new pilot scheme, unopposed 1954 Act lease renewals issued in central London will be dealt with by the First-tier Tribunal.
- Standard form directions will apply.
The Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 is something of a beacon of continuity amidst the shifting tides of landlord and tenant law; in contrast to the regulation of residential tenancies, with which successive governments of all political hues have tinkered endlessly, the primary statutory regime governing business leases in England and Wales has remained in substantially the same form for well over half a century now.
However, changes are afoot that may radically alter the procedures in place to govern claims made under the 1954 Act for new leases where the landlord is not opposed to the grant of the new lease (unopposed lease renewals).
It is uncommon for such claims to go all the way to trial. Typically, following service by the landlord of a notice under s 25 of
