Commercial Lease Solicitors Manchester

Protect your business before you sign. Our commercial lease solicitors review, draft and negotiate lease agreements for landlords and tenants across Manchester and the UK, so you can move forward with confidence

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Taking on a commercial lease is one of the most significant commitments a business can make. Without the right legal advice, you could find yourself locked into unfavourable terms, facing unexpected costs, or unable to exit when your circumstances change. Our Manchester-based corporate and commercial lease solicitors review, draft and negotiate commercial lease agreements for landlords and tenants across the UK, helping businesses understand their obligations, protect their position, and plan for the long term.

What This Means for You

Clear understanding of lease obligations before you sign
Reduced risk of costs and liabilities
Stronger negotiating position with landlords or tenant
Flexibility to adapt as your business grows
Confidence that your lease reflects your commercial objectives

How our commercial lease solicitors help landlords and tenants

Whether you are a landlord or a tenant, getting the terms of your commercial lease right from the outset is essential.

Lease review and advice

Every clause checked before you sign. Risks flagged in straightforward terms, with practical guidance on what each provision means for your business day to day.

Drafting lease agreements

Bespoke commercial leases up to three years, drafted around the property and the deal. Clear terms, balanced protections, and no boilerplate that creates problems
later.

Rent review advice

Guidance on how rent review clauses work, when to challenge an increase, and how to negotiate the strongest possible position when a review is due.

Lease negotiation

Direct negotiation with the other side on rent, length, repair obligations and exit terms. The aim is a deal that works commercially, not just legally.

Break clauses and renewals

Advice on when to exercise a break clause, how to renew on better terms, and what happens if either is mishandled. Full clarity on costs, timing and risks.

Forfeiture advice

Support for landlords and tenants when a lease is at risk of ending early. Options explained, dilapidations addressed, and formal proceedings avoided wherever possible.

Authorised guarantee agreements

Advice for outgoing tenants asked to sign an authorised guarantee agreement on assignment, and for landlords deciding when to require one. We explain what you are agreeing to, how long the guarantee lasts, and what happens if the new tenant defaults.

Retail lease advice

Guidance for retail landlords and tenants on the terms that matter most in shop and unit leases, including permitted use, service charge and alterations. We help you understand exactly what you are signing before the lease is finalised.

MAR Legal can advise on and support the negotiation of commercial leases, including reviewing proposed terms, explaining their legal and commercial implications and identifying areas of risk. We can also assist with short-term lease arrangements where these fall outside the reserved legal activities regime. For longer-term leases, our role is advisory and negotiation-focused. Where a transaction involves reserved conveyancing work, preparation or completion of property instruments, or Land Registry work, those aspects must be undertaken by an appropriately authorised legal professional. MAR Legal can work alongside that adviser to support the client throughout the transaction

When to seek advice

You are entering into a new commercial lease
You have been given a lease to sign by a landlord
You want to negotiate better terms
A rent review or break clause is approaching
You are considering renewing or exiting a lease

Why business choose MAR Legal for Commercial Lease Advice

Solicitor led advice

Direct access to an experienced legal team from day one

Clear Timescales

Delivery dates agreed at the outset and met without the need to chase.

Transparent Pricing

You know what to expect from the outset, no hidden costs or surprises

No obligation consultation

Speak to our team before you commit, no-obligation.

Trusted by businesses across the UK for clear, accessible commercial lease advice.

Book a consultation

    
 
 
         
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 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We have used MAR legal for a range of corporate and commercial matters and have always found them reliable, responsive and easy to work with. Their advice is practical and commercially focused, which is exactly what you want as a business owner. They have supported us with contracts, business agreements and general commercial advice, and everything has been handled professionally and efficiently. Communication has always been clear and turnaround times have been very good. It is refreshing to work with a firm that takes the time to understand the commercial side of a business rather than just giving generic legal advice. We would happily recommend MAR legal to other businesses looking for ongoing legal support.
  
 
        
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How our Commercial Lease process works

Book a consultation

Tell us about your situation.

We review your lease

We review your lease agreement and identify any risks.

We advise you

Clear practical advice and negotiation on your behalf.

You proceed with confidence

Sign knowing your interests are protected.

Marium Razzaq
Solicitor & Director Mar Legal
MCIArb

Meet the Founder

Marium brings 22 years of experience advising landlords and tenants on commercial leases and property matters across the UK and the Middle East.

A qualified Solicitor individually authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA ID: 277854), Marium is also a registered Part II Practitioner.

Her experience spans complex commercial property matters for high-profile clients throughout her career, she has been awarded the fastest growing women-led business in the UK recognised by Fortune 500 and former Prime Minister David Cameron.

Visit our Manchester Commercial Lease Lawyers

MAR Legal is based at Regus, 3 Hardman St, Manchester M3 3HF, in the heart of the city's business district.

The office is a short walk from Deansgate and Manchester Oxford Road stations, with St Peter's Square and Deansgate-Castlefield tram stops both within 10 minutes on foot. The nearest car park is on Quay Street, a couple of minutes away.

We help businesses across Manchester and the wider North West, including Salford, Trafford, Stockport, Bolton and Bury, review, draft and negotiate commercial leases, as well as clients across the UK.

Commercial lease matters often involve wider legal considerations. You may also need support with:

Commercial Lease FAQs

A break clause gives either the landlord or tenant the right to end the commercial lease early at a specified point. Our commercial lease solicitors advise on whether a break clause is appropriate for your situation and ensure it is drafted correctly.

There is no legal requirement to use a solicitor for a commercial lease, but it is strongly advisable. Commercial lease agreements are complex documents that can bind your business for years. At MAR Legal, our commercial lease solicitors review the terms, identify risks, and help protect you from costly disputes.

A rent review is a clause in a commercial lease that allows the landlord to reassess and adjust the rent at set intervals, typically every three to five years. Most commercial leases in the UK use an upward-only rent review, meaning the rent can increase but cannot fall below the current level. Understanding how your rent review clause works before you sign is important, because the mechanism used, whether open market, index-linked or fixed, significantly affects what you could be paying further down the line. Our commercial lease solicitors review rent review clauses as part of any commercial lease instruction.

Yes. We specialise in commercial lease agreements up to three years in length. Short term commercial leases offer businesses greater flexibility, and our commercial lease solicitors can advise on the terms that best protect your position.

A lease assignment is the transfer of a commercial lease from one tenant to another. It is commonly used when a business is sold, when a tenant wants to exit their lease early, or when a company restructures. Most commercial leases require the landlord's consent before an assignment can proceed, and the outgoing tenant may remain liable under the lease even after the assignment completes. The legal work covers the licence to assign, any authorised guarantee agreement required, and the transfer documentation.

Whether VAT applies to your commercial rent depends on whether the landlord has 'opted to tax' the property for VAT purposes. If your business is VAT-registered, this usually doesn't create an additional cost, since the VAT can be reclaimed. If your business isn't VAT-registered, any VAT charged on top of the rent is a real additional cost that should be factored into your budget before you sign. Our commercial lease solicitors check whether the property has been opted to tax as part of any lease review.

An FRI lease places the responsibility for repairs, maintenance and insurance on the tenant, rather than the landlord. This is the most common structure for commercial leases in the UK, but it means the tenant can end up liable for costs well beyond monthly rent, including major structural repairs, depending on how the lease is worded. Understanding exactly what you're taking on before you sign is one of the most important parts of a commercial lease review.

We specialise in commercial leases up to three years, since longer leases typically involve Land Registry registration and other reserved conveyancing activities that MAR Legal doesn't undertake directly. For leases exceeding three years, we work alongside appropriately regulated property lawyers, so you still get support end to end, we simply bring in specialist conveyancing expertise for the registration side of the transaction.

We provide legal advisory and drafting support in relation to commercial lease arrangements. Where a matter involves registration, title transfer, or other reserved conveyancing activities, we work alongside appropriately regulated property lawyers to ensure a seamless and fully compliant service.

Commercial Lease Lawyers Manchester

What This Means for You