Rent Review & Lease Advisory in London
At rent review or lease renewal, the rent payable can move significantly — in either direction. Wimbledon Surveyors acts for commercial landlords and tenants across London, using market evidence to secure a fair result and, where needed, taking the matter to third-party determination. Speak to a lease advisor.
Acting for Landlords
We build the evidence and argument to justify an increased rent at review, maximising your investment income while keeping the position defensible if the tenant disputes it.
Acting for Tenants
We scrutinise the landlord’s case, strip out unsupported comparables and negotiate the rent down — often saving far more than our fee across the term of the lease.
The Rent Review Process
Most reviews turn on the lease wording and comparable lettings. We interpret the review clause, assemble genuine market evidence and negotiate to settlement.
Third-Party Determination
Where the parties cannot agree, we prepare and present the case to an independent expert or arbitrator, and can act as your expert witness if it escalates.
Lease Renewals
We also advise on 1954 Act lease renewals, setting terms and rent for the new lease. Request rent review advice today.
Rent Review Surveyors for Landlords and Tenants
A rent review clause can move thousands of pounds a year between landlord and tenant — yet many reviews are settled without professional evidence, simply because one side negotiated harder. Our RICS surveyors act for both landlords and tenants (never both in the same matter) on commercial rent reviews and lease renewals across London and Essex, from single shops and offices to industrial units and portfolio reviews. We establish the true open market rent with comparable lettings evidence, then negotiate or, where necessary, take the matter to third-party determination.
How a Rent Review Works
Most commercial leases provide for review to open market rent at fixed intervals, usually every three to five years, on the hypothetical terms set out in the review clause. The wording matters enormously: assumptions about lease length, permitted use, fit-out and disregards of tenant improvements can shift the rent materially. We start every instruction by analysing the clause itself — because the “right” rent is the right rent on those terms, not simply what nearby units let for.
For Landlords
We identify the strongest supportable rent, serve or respond to review notices correctly and on time, and negotiate with the tenant or their surveyor. Where the lease allows, we advise on whether triggering the review is commercially worthwhile at all — an under-evidenced review can consume more in fees than it recovers.
For Tenants
Tenants routinely overpay at review because they accept the landlord’s opening figure. We test that figure against genuine comparable evidence, ensure your improvements are properly disregarded, and negotiate the rent down or hold it level — often saving multiples of our fee over the review period. We provide the same service at lease renewal under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954.
Third-Party Determination: Arbitrator or Independent Expert
If negotiation fails, most leases refer the dispute to an arbitrator or independent expert appointed through RICS. We prepare formal submissions and counter-submissions, marshal the comparable evidence, and present your case. Our expert witness surveyors handle related landlord and tenant litigation where court proceedings arise, and our commercial valuation team supports investment decisions that flow from the reviewed rent. See also dilapidations for end-of-lease liabilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most commercial leases provide for review every three to five years, usually to open market rent and often on an upwards-only basis, meaning the rent cannot fall below the current level even if the market has. The lease wording governs — we check it before advising.
A clause providing that the reviewed rent will be the higher of the current rent and the open market rent. Even with an upwards-only clause, tenants benefit from professional representation: keeping the increase to zero in a soft market is a win worth many times the fee.
Comparable open-market lettings of similar premises around the review date, adjusted for size, location, condition and lease terms, applying the assumptions and disregards in the review clause. Quality and analysis of evidence usually decides the outcome.
The lease will provide for determination by an arbitrator or independent expert, usually appointed by the RICS President. Both sides submit evidence and the third party determines the rent. We prepare and present these submissions regularly for landlords and tenants.
At review, only if the clause is not upwards-only. At lease renewal under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, however, the new rent reflects the current market — which can be lower. We advise on both scenarios and the tactics each allows.