Put the business use beside the lease
A commercial lease should be reviewed against what your business intends to do in the premises. Tell us whether the property will be a shop, office, workshop, warehouse or another space, and describe proposed alterations and occupancy arrangements. Yudey can organise the papers and questions for an appropriately scoped professional review. The service begins with an enquiry and acceptance of the work, rather than an assumption that submission creates a legal retainer.
This page concerns England and Wales. Official guidance explains that responsibilities depend on the lease and other obligations. [1] A Scottish or Northern Irish property needs its own legal assessment. Even within England and Wales, the building, transaction structure and parties can affect what needs checking. The appointed professional should confirm the scope, including any searches, title work or specialist reports.
Read the whole document set together
Please provide the draft lease, heads of terms, plan and any side letters or guarantees. A headline rent does not describe the entire commitment. The preparation can distinguish the base payment from service charges, insurance contributions, deposit arrangements and other requested sums. Questions about VAT and business rates should be routed to the relevant professional rather than settled from a general estimate.
We can record missing schedules and conflicting versions so the reviewer works from an identifiable set. If the landlord supplies a revised draft, retain the earlier version and covering message. An agreement made in a meeting should be recorded as a point for confirmation. It should not be described as an enforceable concession simply because both sides discussed it informally.
Examine occupation, repair and changes
Your brief should explain trading hours, customer access, deliveries, equipment and any proposed sharing or subletting. These practical facts help the professional assess the clauses against the intended operation. Planning, licensing, accessibility, safety and technical suitability may involve additional specialists. A document preparation engagement does not certify that the premises can lawfully accommodate every proposed business activity.
Repair obligations deserve attention alongside the property's recorded condition. Photographs and a schedule of condition may help the discussion, but their effect depends on the agreed drafting. We can organise survey questions and known defects. A coordinator does not inspect the building or promise that an attached photograph limits every repair obligation. Any technical investigation needs an identified professional and separate scope.
Make exit and flexibility questions explicit
Record the proposed term, any break option, renewal expectations and possible assignment. The professional should assess the actual wording and conditions. A business plan that anticipates leaving after a particular period is not evidence that the lease allows that exit. Similarly, a hoped-for sale of the business should prompt questions about transfer, consent and continuing commitments.
Guarantees and rent deposits can create separate risks for companies and individuals. Identify everyone being asked to sign and in what capacity. Independent advice may be appropriate where interests differ. The enquiry should flag a director's personal commitment rather than treating it as a routine company signature. We do not recommend signing first and resolving the effect of the document later.
Turn findings into decisions
An accepted preparation scope can produce an indexed file, an issue list and a negotiation priorities sheet. Each item can show the proposed change, business reason, responsible adviser and outstanding response. This makes it easier to distinguish a commercial preference from a legal concern and to keep unresolved questions visible before the transaction reaches signature or completion.
Negotiations, formal advice, execution and completion require express allocation. We do not contact the landlord or represent that a term is approved merely because a review enquiry exists. Give the professional any announced deadline and explain who set it. The timetable should leave room for missing information rather than create pressure to accept an unclear commitment.
Request a defined quotation
Send the premises location, intended use, transaction stage and an outline of the documents. We can establish whether the requested work can be accepted and who would deliver professional advice. The quotation identifies the output, exclusions, applicable VAT and separately instructed work in pounds sterling. It should also explain responsibility for searches, surveys and third-party charges.
Please describe confidential attachments before sending them through an agreed channel. The final output should identify its document version and unresolved assumptions. It is a basis for informed decisions within the accepted scope, not a guarantee of affordable occupation, unrestricted trading or future lease flexibility. The business remains responsible for approving the commercial commitment with its advisers.
Official information behind this service
Sources checked on 8 September 2026. Use the linked guidance for subsequent changes.