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Commercial property

Finding the right premises and managing commercial property are important for businesses of all sizes. On this page you can find articles, books and online resources providing news and guidance.
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Latest on commercial property

Read our latest features and articles on finding premises and managing commercial property.
HMRC disclosure facility for non-resident landlords
  • Article
  • 16 Aug 2023
Letters are being sent during August to companies resident outside the UK that HMRC’s records show hold UK commercial property and have not registered for income tax or corporation tax in relation to these properties.
Commercial rent arrears: how landlords and tenants can work together
  • Article
  • 17 May 2021
Rules introduced during the pandemic to protect businesses from being evicted by their landlords due to rent arrears are a headache for commercial property owners but there are other remedies at their disposal, a commercial property litigation expert says.
Will businesses reduce their office footprint in 2021?
  • Article
  • 08 Jan 2021
11 January 2021: With homeworking the new norm, speculation is rife that the days of the vanity corporate HQ could be numbered. Even the longer-term prospect of hybrid models of working is prompting questions about office space and opportunities to downsize.
A year in the life of local authority finances
  • Article
  • 10 Dec 2020
It has been quite a year for local authorities as their finances, accounts and audit arrangements have all been put to the test.
COVID tips Croydon Council over the edge into bankruptcy
  • Article
  • 17 Nov 2020
Croydon Council has gone into section 114 ‘bankruptcy’ following years of overspending, losses on commercial investments and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. What went wrong?
Local government commercial activities in the headlines again
  • Article
  • 21 Oct 2020
Recent reports on the commercial activities of local councils in Wales and Spelthorne Borough Council’s £1bn commercial property bet highlight the pressures local authority finances are under.
Sanjiv Kohli: How my council is innovating financially
  • Article
  • 13 Sep 2020
Local authorities across the UK are facing a grave threat to their finances.
Funding shortfalls cause councils to use up their reserves
  • Article
  • 03 Sep 2020
4 September: Local authorities are struggling to balance the books in the wake of COVID-19, as the gap between income and expenditure widens.
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Legal Alert

Legal Alert is a monthly checklist from Atom Content Marketing highlighting new and pending laws, regulations, codes of practice and rulings that could have an impact on your business.
New law: Planning permission for solar panels on larger commercial buildings
  • Article
  • 01 Jan 2024
Businesses with large commercial premises, developers and those in the solar panel industry will welcome a government announcement that it plans to extend ‘permitted development rights’ to streamline installation of larger rooftop solar panels on commercial premises.
New laws: Government delays or drops green and other property-related proposals
  • Article
  • 01 Nov 2023
Property owners, landlords, tenants, managing agents and lenders should ensure they are aware of which green and other government proposals are to be delayed or dropped, and which new exemptions are proposed, following recent government announcements.
New law: Proposed new laws for residential tenants put before Parliament
  • Article
  • 01 Jul 2023
Landlords will welcome publication of draft legislation which clarifies the government’s proposals for reform of laws governing residential lettings.
New practice: Energy crisis prompts commercial landlords and tenants to act
  • Article
  • 01 Dec 2022
Commercial landlords and tenants are planning how to reduce or mitigate future energy costs for their properties, to help tenants stay in business and landlords meet their obligations while remaining profitable.
New law: Commercial property with energy rating below E to be unlettable
  • Article
  • 01 Nov 2022
Commercial landlords in England & Wales are considering what they need to do as a result of new restrictions which will stop them from not only granting new leases but also continuing existing leases of non-domestic properties with an energy rating below E, which come into force from 1 April 2023.
New law: Residential landlords and tenants face new laws changing their rights and obligations towards each other
  • Article
  • 01 Jul 2022
The balance of the legal relationship between residential landlords and tenants looks set to change following announcements in the recent Queen’s Speech.
New law: Commercial landlords in England face new rules forcing them to let out empty properties
  • Article
  • 01 Jun 2022
High street and other commercial landlords are considering the potential impact on their businesses of government plans to allow local authorities to force commercial landlords to rent out their empty properties, announced in the recent Queen’s Speech.
New law: Government updates Code for resolving rent arrears issues between commercial landlords and tenants in England and Wales
  • Article
  • 01 May 2022
Landlords and tenants of commercial property in England and Wales still trying to agree how to deal with arrears of rent built up because of COVID-19 will welcome an updated Code of Practice ‘Guidance: Commercial rent code of practice following the COVID-19 pandemic’ to help them negotiate a resolution.
Disclaimer

These articles from Atom Content Marketing are for general guidance only, for businesses in the United Kingdom governed by the laws of England. Atom Content Marketing, expert contributors and ICAEW (as distributor) disclaim all liability for any errors or omissions.

Webinars

ep 55
Commercial property: economic bellwether or laggard?
  • Podcast
  • 28 Jul 2023
  • ICAEW Insights
In this Insights In Focus episode, we analyse the UK’s current economic turbulence through the lens of the commercial property sector.

Business press

The ICAEW Library & Information Service provides access to leading business, finance and management journals. These journals are available to logged-in ICAEW members, ACA students and other entitled users subject to suppliers' terms of use.
Exclusive Japanese buyers snap up New York and London buildings in spending spree
  • Article
  • 06 Dec 2023
  • Lisa Du
Japanese investors are currently spending the most in two decades to purchase properties overseas, despite the global real estate slump and the decline of the yen. This surge in investment is driven by the availability of rock-bottom financing rates in Japan and the desire to diversify income due to low returns in Japan. Japanese buyers tend to go for prominent assets, providing liquidity to the US commercial real estate market.
Exclusive Signa's lofty property valuations point to brutal pain to come
  • Article
  • 02 Dec 2023
  • Jack Sidders
Signa, a collapsing European real estate empire based in Austria, is facing significant challenges in its portfolio. Signa's implosion highlights Germany's commercial real estate crisis, as much of its portfolio is in the country. German property debt is being sold at significantly reduced prices, indicating substantial revisions in valuations. Signa's high valuations have attracted attention, but the company's excessive debt and limited cash flow have proven fatal.
Exclusive New Zealand's general election: key corporate tax issues.
  • Article
  • 09 Oct 2023
  • Greg Neill and Young-chan Jung
Greg Neill and Young-chan Jung of Russell McVeagh preview some of the corporate tax issues to be intensely debated during New Zealand's upcoming general election, including those regarding commercial real estate, GST and foreign investment.
Exclusive Sweden: new case law on tax values of properties with contaminated soil
  • Article
  • 02 Oct 2023
  • Rebaz Wahab
Property tax is a considerable yearly expense for commercial property owners in Sweden. Rebaz Wahab of KPMG Sweden reports on a recent judgment from the Administrative Court of Appeal in Gothenburg that offers additional guidance on how soil contamination may affect property tax valuation.
Exclusive Banks wary of London housing projects amid $1bn value drop
  • Article
  • 29 Sep 2023
  • Neil Callanan, Cagan Koc, Jack Sidders
UK banks are becoming increasingly cautious about lending for housing development in London, in the latest signal that the outlook for the capital's property market is weakening. Lenders have cut the leverage ratios they're willing to offer developers by as much as 10 percentage points since the start of 2023, according to Nicole Lux, a senior fellow at Bayes Business School. Higher mortgage rates are also damaging London home prices, which have fallen by about 4% over the last year, according to mortgage lender Halifax.
Exclusive Return-to-office is a $1.3 trillion problem few have figured out
  • Article
  • 04 Sep 2023
  • Matthew Boyle
In these post-pandemic times, companies are still working out how to adapt to lasting changes to corporate working life. Stark differences have emerged across continents and cultures, with Asian and European workers largely returning to offices at a faster pace than their counterparts in the Americas. However, European working practices vary widely - the UK has one of the highest rates of remote work, and France one of the lowest. The disparities within countries and cities have upended the commercial real estate market, leading to a debt crisis among some landlords.
Exclusive The 'G' element in 'ESG' for commercial real estate
  • Article
  • 01 Sep 2023
  • Bruce Turner
Bruce Turner explores our rapidly evolving understanding of ESG factors related to commercial real estate, and its challenges to market acceptance in either investment analysis or valuation. He also looks briefly at responses to ESG by professional valuers' associations in a still uncertain environment.
Exclusive The world's empty office buildings have become a debt time bomb
  • Article
  • 23 Jun 2023
  • John Gittelsohn, Shawna Kwan, Jack Sidders, Natalie Wong
Commercial real estate owners and lenders worldwide are grappling with changes in how people work and shop, due to the post-pandemic increase in working from home. Meanwhile, higher interest rates are making it more expensive to buy or refinance buildings. When commercial real estate loan payments are due, owners may prefer to default rather than borrow again to pay the bill.

Articles and books in the ICAEW Library collection

The collection of the ICAEW Library & Information Service includes a range of articles, books and reports on commercial property. Use the links below to see what we have available to request in our Library catalogue (Libcat).
Selling property overseas
  • Library book
  • 2023
  • R. Durrant-Walker
  • LexisNexis
A brief guide to taxation in cases where UK-resident individuals or companies dispose of land or property abroad (both residential and commercial). Also covered are circumstances under which individuals may have periods of temporary non-residence or be non-domiciled.
Using a property company to save tax
  • Library book
  • 2023
  • C.Bayley
  • Taxcafe UK
This new edition has been completely rewritten and contains a wealth of new tax planning information for existing company owners. It covers all the expenses property companies can claim, how to save tax when you extract money from your company and all the tax reliefs that can be claimed when properties are sold. For those thinking about setting up a property company, the guide looks at all the tax benefits, pitfalls, and practical issues, including how to get existing properties into a company.
Service charges and management
  • Library book
  • 2022
  • Tanfield Chambers
  • Sweet & Maxwell
The authors are a team of barristers from Tanfield Chambers; in this book they look at the law relating to service charges and the management of commercial and residential leasehold, freehold and commonhold property. They identify the types of dispute which occur most frequently and provide detailed advice on dealing with them.
Furnished holiday lettings: a tax guide
  • Library book
  • 2022
  • J.Endacott
  • LexisNexis
A clear and practical guide to the tax issues relating to furnished holiday lettings, covering the particular tax issues that practitioners face and commenting on recent legislation and case law.
Capital allowances for commercial property: an introductory guide for business owners and their advisers
  • Library book
  • 2017
  • R.Chidell
  • College of Law Publishing
A short guide to help business owners and their advisers understand the key points they need to know about capital allowances for property.
Commercial property
  • Library book
  • 2016
  • A.Rodell
  • College of Law Publishing
A comprehensive and systematic guide to the principles of landlord and tenant law.

To find out how you can borrow books from the Library please see our guide to borrowing books.

You can obtain copies of articles or extracts of books and reports through our document supply service.

Further ICAEW resources

See the following ICAEW Business topic pages for a selection of online books, articles, guides and useful links:
Construction worker
Health and safety
Resources on health and safety rules and legislation.

External resources - advice and guides

British Property Federation (BPF)
  • Website
  • BPF
The professional body representing the UK property industry provides information for commercial landlords and investors.
Code for leasing business premises
  • Website
  • RICS
RICS professional statement on lettings of premises in England and Wales to tenants who will carry on trade, professional or other business activities in them. Includes template heads of terms and checklist to aid the legal drafting process.
HM Land Registry Property Alert
  • Website
  • GOV.UK
Alert service to help protect property owners against fraudulent transactions and applications. Users receive email alerts when significant activity occurs, such as a new mortgage.
HelpMovingOffice.co.uk
  • Website
  • Moving Office Limited
An independent website providing businesses with free information, guides, calculators and checklists for a successful office move.
Renting a business property: tenant responsibilities
  • Website
  • GOV.UK
GOV.UK government guidance on your legal responsibilities when renting a property for your business.
Terms of use

ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided 'as is' with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.

External resources - Atom Business guides

Essential guide to finding premises for your business
  • Website
  • Atom Content Marketing
Choosing the right premises is a major decision for many businesses. The right location can be critical for attracting customers and employees, while the premises themselves can significantly influence productivity.
Essential guide to property licences
  • Website
  • Atom Content Marketing
Moving into licensed property is easier, quicker and cheaper than taking on a lease or buying a freehold property. Licensed properties are often ideal for start-ups and smaller businesses.
Find the right premises for growth
  • Website
  • Atom Content Marketing
If you expect your business to grow quickly, it can be difficult to get suitable premises for your needs. Though you may not need much space now, the situation could be very different in 12 or 18 months' time.
Getting out of a lease
  • Website
  • Atom Content Marketing
As the needs of your business change, you may wish to get out of the lease on your premises. This is seldom easy. A lease is a legal contract, and your landlord can take you to court if you break it.
Rent reviews and rating assessments
  • Website
  • Atom Content Marketing
Rent reviews are a mechanism for adjusting a tenant's rent to the current market level. Similarly, the revaluation of rating assessments adjusts the rates an occupier pays, bringing it into line with rental values.
Renting premises
  • Website
  • Atom Content Marketing
Compared with purchasing premises, renting is flexible and ties up a minimal amount of capital. Most businesses rent their premises, either through a lease or a licence.
Terms of use

ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided 'as is' with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.

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