Commerical Landlord changed locks, personal belongings inside

[Notyourownnamerequired]

Help!

 

I have a manufacturing business that was hit hard by Covid, and caused us to lose staff and made it hard to recover.

Being the sole director and taking little to no money home, I have struggled with depression with it, till the point my last guy left in January.

 

We have been struggling with the rent due to the lack of staff, and started to get some responses to our recruitment drive last month, with two starting this month and moving their tools over yesterday, however, going back to the workshop myself this evening, the locks have been changed and i can't get access to personal belongings of mine or the staff, and preventing finishing work that would assist rent payment.

 

What can I do, as I am very stressed and concerned, with what money coming in from the invoices at the moment will probably be needed for legal or removal

 

Help!! Please!!

[Notyourownnamerequired]

Is no one able to offer any advice?

 

 

[Kyosanto]

I'm sure someone will be here who can help, but your story needs more details.

 

Have you communicated with the landlord at all over this period of time? What papers did you receive from them? Remove the personal details and upload them here.

[stu007]

Hi

 

What the Landlord has done is the Right to Re-Entry/Forfeiture by changing the locks they have terminated your Lease Agreement as this is an easier route for the Landlord of a Commercial Property than going through the Court process.

 

Now the but for the above the Landlord must have something in your Lease Agreement for the Commercial Property that states this (so have a good read of your Lease Agreement about this).

 

How much are you in Arrears for the Commercial Property?

 

Was it actually the Landlord that changed the Locks or did the Landlord use a Bailiff?

 

Were you given any notice to have the Arrears paid by and any action the Landlord may take to recover?

 

Has the Landlord been in contact with you about the Arrears?

 

Some info for you:

 

From 25th March 2022 all previous restrictions due to COVID-19 were lifted but the Government introduced the Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Act 2022.

 

This sets out new Rent Arbitration Procedure that is Compulsory for Rent Arrears known as 'Protected Rent Debt'. The Arbitration will protect Tenants in certain Sectors where they were forced to close by the Government between 21st March 2020 and 19th July 2021. An Arbitrator will then decide how much rent these Tenants will have to pay. (note: Forfeiture is then prohibited for this Debt)

 

The above does not apply to Commercial Rent Arrears which had been incurred before 21st March 2020 or any that incurred post 18th July 2021.

 

These Restrictions DO NOT apply to Commercial Businesses that were not required to close by the Government

 

Have a Good Read of the Below Link: (you will have to download both the Commercial Rents (Coronavirus) Bill & Commercial Rents Code of Practice)

 

New measures in Bill to assist commercial landlords and tenants in resolving rent debts resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic - GOV.UK

WWW.GOV.UK

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