ARTICLES OF INTEREST
UPWARDS-ONLY RENT REVIEW BAN: ACT RECEIVES ROYAL ASSENT, BUT COMMENCEMENT DATE STILL AWAITED
SUMMARY
The bill containing a ban on upwards-only rent reviews in commercial leases received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026 and is now the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 (the Act).
The ban will not take effect immediately, and a commencement date will be set by future regulations. Market expectation is that this will not be before 2027 or possibly 2028.
The Act includes a ban on upwards-only rent review clauses in new and renewal commercial leases in England and Wales, which are occupied by the tenant for business purposes or which could be occupied for business purposes. These include high street, office, and manufacturing leases, with limited exemptions, such as certain agricultural or mining leases. Please see our previous alert here.