Terminating a Commercial Lease Early

[darkest_dawng]

In December I notified my landlord of a severe structural issue with my retail premises (the floor by the window is giving way - it appears to be as a result of rising damp, the previous tenants also informed the landlord of this - there is also a severe leak in the roof which has been there for over 18 months, again the landlord was alerted by the previous tenants), despite several telephone calls to the landlord no action has been taken.

In general the new landlord has been a nightmare to deal with and I have another 18 months on my lease to run, however I wish to terminate the agreement and leave as soon as possible. A tenant in another unit had asked the same thing, but the landlord informed them that he would have to 'buy out' of the lease.

Would I be able to cite a breach of contract on the landlord's behalf for failing to maintain the structure of the property as a means of terminating the lease.

Edited to Add: The Landlord was informed in writing of the issue in December
Thank-you for any help on this matter.

[Aequitas]

The landlord being in breach of covenant does not allow a tenant to terminate a lease. The remedy is damages or an injunction.