Commercial Leases Solicitor
Commercial property leases
Commercial property leases can be of benefit to both landlords and tenants. However, negotiating the terms of a lease to ensure it is balanced and satisfies the needs of both parties can be tricky.
The support of a commercial property solicitor can make this process easier.
We have a wealth of experience assisting both landlords and tenants with commercial property leases. With experience in working for both sides to avoid disputes through dispute resolution and concerns regarding the terms of the lease.
Whether you are a:
- landlord looking to ensure that your commercial property is kept in good condition, or
- a tenant concerned about various restrictions in the lease affecting how you run your business
our expert commercial property team will work with you, listening to your wishes and helping to get the right terms in place.
Do you have to use a solicitor for a commercial lease?
From a legal perspective, you are not required to use a solicitor.
However, it is strongly recommended that you seek advice from a solicitor when entering into a commercial lease. This is because a commercial property lease may include terms and covenants that could make operating your business difficult.
A commercial property solicitor has the experience to spot terms and covenants that could impact your business. They also have the ability to negotiate the terms of the lease so that they are more favourable to your business needs.
Examples of some commercial property lease terms that we can negotiate:
Repairs
Tenants are often imposed by their lease to be responsible for repairs. We can negotiate so that this term is weaker so that the Landlord also shares some responsibility.
Alterations
You may need to carry out some non-structural alterations to adapt a property for your business needs. Leases sometimes carry terms that make this process complex and inefficient by requiring the landlord to sign off. Negotiations can eliminate or weaken this term to prevent delays in having your business ready to operate.
Signage
Some leases require the landlord to approve any signage installed on the property. As a business, you may already have set brand colours, logos and identity. If the landlord refuses to consent to your signage, this can have a serious impact on your business. Through negotiations, this term can be removed.
What does a commercial lease lawyer do?
Commercial lease lawyers create property leases between tenants and landlords. The leases they create contain all the terms and clauses that both a tenant and a landlord will have to abide by.
Through negotiation and dispute resolution they mediate differences to make a lease favourable to both parties.
Finally, a commercial lease lawyer can also assist and provide legal advice for when leases are broken by either the tenant or landlord.
Who pays the legal fees for a commercial lease?
There is no standard process of who should pay for the legal fees for a commercial lease. However, usually, the tenant is responsible for covering the cost of the lease. This is because landlords normally have a standard template lease ready to use and it is the tenant that is looking to amend the document and terms.
However, both parties should seek out separate legal representation either during the negotiation or, at the very minimum, before signing any commercial property lease.
This helps ensure that you are signing a contract that is legal and represents your best interests.
Why use Rothera Bray for legal advice on commercial property leases?
Whether you are a landlord or business tenant, we can act for you. With experience in a wide variety of sectors and industries, we can understand the particular nuances that may come with your property.
Identifying your objectives and what would work best for you is always our first priority. We will then work to secure these and the best possible terms for you and your business.
- Struggling to meet the terms of your lease? Whether you’re a landlord or tenant we can provide expert legal advice on where you stand.
- Drafting and negotiation of lease agreements along with legal advice on the heads of terms prior to the drafting of the contract.
- Expert legal advice on lease renewals, extensions, assignments and variations. This includes reviewing existing unfair and escalating ground rent provisions and any other undesirable lease terms.
- Legal advice on any disputes arising between Landlord and Tenant regarding the terms of the lease.
Related services from Rothera Bray:
- Lease renewals
- Lease extensions
- Lease assignments, sub-lettings, underlettings and variations
- Service charges
- Break clauses
- Rent reviews
- Termination of leases
- Insurance
- Recovery of possession
- Personal guarantees
- Responsibility for repairs
Send us a message
“Solicitors experienced in commercial property leases are essential to ensure that your business won’t face problems in the future.”
Russell Thompson
Commercial Property Partner
stars
Posted 25 February 2026
Great experience with Ellie from the Derby office. Her communication was great throughout, keeping me informed and explaining everything clearly. She was professional, supportive, and I particularly liked the regular structured updates.
Hannah Nesbitt
stars
Posted 24 February 2026
We recently used Rothera Bray for support with a commercial lease on our new offices and had an excellent experience from start to finish. As a charity, choosing the right solicitor was really important to us, and we approached them based on their strong local reputation. We worked with Marneya, who was fantastic throughout the entire process. He was incredibly responsive, always quick to answer emails and calls, and he went out of his way to ensure all of our questions were fully addressed. There were some unexpected changes and Marneya handled them calmly and efficiently. He liaised directly with the landlord’s solicitor and made sure everything was completed to the highest standard. Most importantly, he took the time to clearly explain every aspect of the lease so we felt confident and fully informed before signing. He was approachable, friendly, and professional at all times. We wouldn’t hesitate to use his services again and highly recommend him to others.
Julia Synnott
stars
Posted 23 February 2026
Life-saver, Lauren was brilliant. She offered quick, thorough advice that completely turned my situation around. She was understanding, engaged and direct throughout all of our conversations, and I can't recommend her more.
Employment client
stars
Posted 23 February 2026
Very professional. Very approachable. Set my mind at ease during this difficult transition of switching jobs. I will recommend your firm to my contacts and once again, thank you.
Christian Thompson
stars
Posted 23 February 2026
We were very impressed with the excellent service from Ellie & her team! They were prompt, informative & helpful from the very beginning, keeping us advised throughout the process & making our home purchase a pleasure. If we could give them 10 stars, we would! Highly recommended!
Craig Dunn
stars
Posted 20 February 2026
Absolutely delighted with Rothera Bray. Their services were quick and smooth. Sally was amazing throughout the whole process. Thankyou so much. Will definitely recommend to others and use Rothera Bray in the future again. Outstanding service! And so quick! Definitely worth the money.
Sady S
stars
Posted 20 February 2026
Sallie Poultney handled all of the work on my mother's and father's estate, and some of the other team there were involved where needs - e.g. on trust matters and handling the sale of their house, and it's all been very efficient and expertly handled. I would recommend the team there unequivocally.
Piers Wilson
stars
Posted 20 February 2026
Sara and Akeeta looked after our case when we were buying a property. They were both super helpful, polite and fast to respond, and helped chase other people when there was problems in the chain. Would recommend Rothera Bray to anyone, we’d definitely use them again!
Nadia Williams
stars
Posted 19 February 2026
Many thanks to the conveyancing team in Beeston for the advice and work with the house sale especially after the change of the buyers solicitor at a very late stage. The proceeds were paid very promptly into my account. Thank you Sandy and the team for all the help.
Chris Bradbury
stars
Posted 19 February 2026
Big thanks to Ellie for the super professional and friendly way she managed the selling of our house! She held our hand during the entire nerve-wrecking process we had to go through for the past year, sorting all the issues the buyers kept raising in the most absurd way, and she never lost the positive attitude and confidence that things will turn out fine! Ellie made sure we had all our documents in order and on time. If all solicitors were doing their jobs as well as she does, clients would have zero headaches!
Ana-Maria
stars
Posted 14 February 2026
We used Rothera Bray for the selling and buying of our property. The level of service received was great, with responses to emails and calls being quick (from Joanne and Nirvair). We asked Rothera Bray to meet quite a tight deadline as we wanted to be in our new house before Christmas, and they were very quick in ensuring everything was met for us to do so. We felt that the service provided (compared to others we have used in the past) was much better. In previous moves, we have often had to chase the solicitors for updates but this was most definitely not the case with Rothera Bray. If you are looking for a Solicitors who are on the ball and very quick to respond and keep you updated, then this is who we would recommend and who we would most certainly use again. Thank you Joanne and Nivair.
Aimee Riddell
stars
Posted 13 February 2026
Jo was warm, welcoming and spoke very clear. It made the course much easier to understand under her guidance. Thank you for a very informative and educational day which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Licensing course delegate
Catherine Angrave
Partner & Head of Commercial Property
Catherine deals with all types of commercial property work and has acquired substantial experience in acting for residential property developer clients in the acquisition and disposal of development land. She’s based at our Leicester office.
Antony Fyson
Partner
Antony Fyson is a Partner at Rothera Bray Solicitors. He works from our Lace Market office and offers clients a wealth of expertise in commercial property, property development and conveyancing matters.
Phillip Heseltine
Partner
Phillip has specialised in Commercial Property Law since 1997. He deals with sale and purchases of investment property and investment portfolios, but also the sale and acquisition of development land.
Russell Thompson
Partner & Head of Licensing
Russell Thompson is a Partner in the Commercial Property department at Rothera Bray Solicitors and is based at our Lace Market office.
David Tomlinson
Partner, Commercial Property
David is a Partner at Rothera Bray Solicitors. He works from our Derby office and offers clients a wealth of expertise in commercial and commercial property matters.
Marneya Chauhan
Senior Associate Solicitor
Marneya is a Senior Associate Solicitor in the Commercial Property department based at our Leicester office. He acts for commercial property lenders, property investors and landowners. He’s based at our Leicester city centre office.
Amy Moore
Senior Associate Solicitor
Amy is part of our busy Commercial Property team at our Leicester city centre office. She specialises in commercial leases, renewal leases, and acts on behalf of pension schemes in relation to purchases, sales and lease aspects.
James Gray
Associate Solicitor
James is based at our Spa Place, Leicester office within the Commercial Property team. James’ specialisms include advising on all areas of freehold and leasehold commercial, agricultural and (aspects of) residential property.
Amie Hardy
Solicitor
Amie Hardy is a Solicitor in Rothera Bray’s Commercial Property department and is based at our Lace Market office.
Danielle Marshall
Solicitor
Danielle Marshall is a Solicitor in Rothera Bray’s Commercial Property team and is based at our Lace Market, Nottingham office.
Sarah Payne
Solicitor
Sarah Payne is a Solicitor in Rothera Bray’s Commercial Property team and is based at our Leicester office.
Sabita Kandel
Trainee Solicitor
Sabita Kandel is a Trainee Solicitor in Rothera Bray’s Commercial Property team and is based at our Leicester office.
Alison Gill
Paralegal
Alison is a Paralegal in our Commercial Property department and is based at our Lace Market office.
Katie Sampson
Paralegal
Katie Sampson is a Paralegal in Rothera Bray’s Commercial Property department and is based at our Lace Market, Nottingham office.
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