Laws & Legalities of Relocating a Business
Office Leasing Considerations
Leasing office space is a good option for many businesses, but it is also a major financial commitment. Leasing office space means you will be governed by a legally binding document, called an Office Lease, and no matter how small your requirements, an office lease is a complex document containing confusing jargon and lots of paperwork to review.
But there's no need to go it alone; a Property Agent will negotiate the terms of the lease on your behalf, and a Property Solicitor will check it over to ensure your commercial interests are protected. It does, however, help to understand the basis of the legal issues surrounding a business relocation.
Exiting your Current Office Lease
When the times comes to relocate your business, you will need to dig out your office lease to check the terms in order to "exit" your lease in accordance with the legally binding contract. Typically, your office lease will require you to leave the premises in a clean state and put right any fixtures or fittings which you may have put in.
Signing a New Office Lease
After finding several potential properties that meet your business requirements, then comes negotiating a new office lease. Remember, there is no such thing as a "standard" office lease, so you will be relying on your Property Agent to "bargain" with the Landlord in order to secure favourable terms that match the requirements of your business and budget. The single most important thing you can so when relocating your business is to appoint a Property Solicitor to guide you through the process of leasing office space and evaluate whether the terms of the lease are consistent with what you've verbally agreed with the landlord - as well as your business goals.
Looking after Employees
Check that you won’t be in breach of employee contracts by moving office. Each case will vary and depend very much on your employees contract. If the employee contracts contain a "mobility clause" it means that the employer may change the place of work by providing reasonable notice. If there is no mobility clause, you may be required to offer a redundancy package in certain situations where the employee refuses to relocate with the business.
The Moving Office Employment Law Checklist contains all the laws and legalities as far as relocating your staff are concerned. Make sure you use it before announcing your office move to staff.
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