Repairs And Tenancies

There is a much lower obligation for a tenant to repair their pub, usually restricted to internal and minor repairs. Major repairs and structural problems will normally be the task of the brewery or pub company. However, pubs can sometimes be left in a poor state of repair by previous tenants and this causes problems for new tenants. This is particularly prevalent in the domestic accommodation, which is often neglected. While these are often decorative problems, there can be poor quality carpeting and other damage. As well as a financial burden, these can be a major source of stress and inconvenience. Where there are any problems in these areas they should be discussed with the Business Development Manager/ Area Manager. The ideal solution for the new tenant is that the brewery or pub company agrees to fix these.

Obtaining Promotional Support

After accepting the offer letter, but before signing the agreement, is a good time to discuss whether any promotional support can be provided to help build trade in the early stages. Business Development Managers/ Area Managers are usually able to send you free products, tee-shirts or promotion kits. They may also be able to assist you with other forms of marketing like press coverage, advertising or mailshots to customers. It is worth obtaining whatever additional support you can, to get you off to a flying start in your new pub.

Other Forms Of Support

Along with the Business Development Manager/Area Manager, there are other brewery or pub company staff that can be very valuable to you. Property surveyors can advise you on a range of property issues, catering managers can advise you on menu development, and their machine controllers can help you with any amusement machine queries. Your Business Development Manager/Area Manager will advise as to who else in the organisation may be able to help you.

Setting An Ingoing Date

During the course of your discussions, you will need to agree an ingoing date. In some circumstances, this may be dictated by the previous tenant insisting on leaving on a particular date. Where you do have some flexibility over choosing a date, you need to bear in mind how many things you will need to organise before you move in. The timescale will also be heavily influenced by whether you are taking a tenancy, new lease, lease assignment or purchasing a freehold.

Taking a tenancy is the simplest and quickest procedure (not requiring a lengthy legal process or property surveys). New leases, assignments and freehold purchases can take between 8–12 weeks to complete. (Some breweries and pub companies allow you take the pub on a form of temporary tenancy beforehand while the lease is being dealt with behind the scenes.) Any requirement for additional finance will also take time to arrange. It is best to be realistic about how much time you need to get yourself prepared to take on your pub. It is a stressful time and being highly organised and calling on your support network for help will make things easier for you.

Signing The Agreement

Signing a tenancy agreement is normally done on the day of ingoing. The document will normally be brought to the pub by the Business Development Manager/Area Manager, who will ask you to sign it. (Make sure that you have previously received a copy and clearly understand the contents.) Check that the rent figures, any targets, and other key terms have been correctly entered into the document before you sign it.

Signing a new lease, or taking on an existing lease by assignment, will involve solicitors. You will be required to attend their office to sign the document and make payment. This can be done several days before the ingoing date. Completion of the lease will need to occur before you move in. This will be handled by your solicitor and the vendor’s or brewery’s or pub company’s solicitor.