Since our July 2025 GT Alert on the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (the Bill), which unexpectedly proposed a statutory ban on upwards-only rent reviews (UORRs) in new commercial leases, there have been changes to the proposals that parties to commercial leases should be aware of.
As a reminder, the Bill was introduced to Parliament on 10 July 2025 and is now at the final stage of parliamentary consideration of amendments exchanged between the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Most recently, the House of Commons considered Lords’ amendments on 21 April 2026 (including the amendment in respect of renewals discussed in this update), and the House of Lords considered the Commons’ response on 23 April 2026. Once agreement is reached on the remaining amendments, the Bill will be ready for Royal Assent – currently anticipated in early May. Consultation and implementation are expected in 2027 (and potentially into 2028) following a transitional period.