Retail v Commercial Leases

Property Law: 12 March 2024

Author: Lauren Woolley & Ralph Davies - Our People

The classification of a lease is an important exercise for both landlord and tenant alike. If the lease is classified as ‘retail’, a tenant is afforded more protection under the Retail Leases Act 2003, which are normally unavailable to commercial lease tenants.

When contemplating whether a lease is retail or commercial, the difference should be quite obvious – a retail lease would include shops and stores, while a commercial lease would be an office. Yet, this distinction is not as apparent as you might think.

To find out more about more about whether your lease may be retail or commercial, see our article ‘Commercial v Retail Leases’.