katrinamcbride5 :
What does the rent review clause say on yr lease? I assume the lease term has ended? If the lease has already expired and yr paying rent periodically, you may have protection under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, which gives you the right to renew yr tenancy on fair terms and at a reasonable market rent, not whatever the landlord demands. If u signed an “opt-out” from that Act when u first took the lease, u will have fewer rights, but u can still negotiate. Even when rent review is allowed, the new rent must reflect current market value, not an arbitrary figure. You should ask the landlord for evidence of the valuation and consider getting an independent surveyor to assess what similar premises are renting for. Yr next steps should be to read the lease carefully, confirm yr rights under the 1954 Act, and negotiate in writing only. You can also get help from a commercial property solicitor, a chartered surveyor (RICS), or organisations like the Federation of Small Businesses or Citizens Advice, who can check if the increase is lawful and help you challenge or negotiate it. Send everything via email, whether they ignore it or not, it is evidence of yr attempts to access info you have a right to, and negotiate in a reasonable manner. They do not have the right to evict you with a weeks notice, so you don't need to go anywhere. Normal practice is in months, not weeks. If you haven't seen the new lease, then they have no rights to hold it over you or ask you to sign it, So just keep paying the old rent. I would urge you to get advice on this.
2025-11-03 10:43:52