The British Beer and Pub Association, the British Institute of Innkeeping and UKHospitality, have produced best practice guidance for the management of pub repairs and dilapidations. The guidance was developed with support and guidance from industry experts.
The guidance has been developed to support both pub companies and their tenants, with the aim of minimising the scale and frequency of any disputes and thereby benefiting both parties. The guidance sets out some specific procedural recommendations for best practice and highlights the importance of good communication from both sides throughout the lease arrangement.
This guidance sets out principles that will help to ensure pubs are maintained in a suitable condition, will help to reduce the overall costs of maintenance throughout the life of an agreement, and will minimise the level of disputes relating to repairs and dilapidations at the end of the term.
Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said:
“This guidance is an excellent tool for the pub industry. Its use will help to minimise disputes and strengthen the thousands of partnerships that exist between tenants and pub companies across the nation. We are grateful to all of those who contributed to the guidance and hope that this will become an important reference resource for the sector.”
Kate Nicholls, CEO, UKHospitality, said:
“Issues and disputes around dilapidations, especially in situations with long-term leases, can be problematic and expensive. We welcome the publication of this best practice guidance and hope it will be a useful resource for tenants, lessees and pub companies to provide clarity on dilapidations and minimise the risk of disputes.”
Steve Alton, Chief Executive, BII, said:
“Repairing obligations and dilapidations have always been a challenging area and we at the BII receive many helpline queries on the subject. We are hopeful that this best practice guide will be of real value to all parties.”
