Legal Implications of Moving Offices
Moving Office Legal Considerations
Moving to new offices should be an exciting prospect. But without the right legal advice it can prove to be costly experience - or, to coin a phrase, a minefield. There are a multitude of things to think about when a company moves offices; everything from getting out of your existing lease, through to reviewing the draft of your new lease, employee relocation law and even resolving any disputes with your Landlord that may arise when moving in or out of a property.
Here's an overview of some of the legal concerns you may want to address with your property solicitor before you start planning your office move:
Are you giving correct legal notice on your existing property?
Your current office lease will indicate how and when you should give notice to your landlord, so before you do anything else, dig out your existing lease and check the notice clause. If you are unsure about anything, ask your Property Solicitor for advice. If you are wanting to get out of your office lease before its expiry date, you will need to have a break clause in the lease which needs to be exercised correctly.
Reviewing your new office lease
Once your property agent has negotiated the terms on your new lease, the landlord will submit an initial draft. Several copies of this lease may go backwards and forwards between the parties until you are happy with what's been agreed. The final draft needs to be sent to your property solicitor for final review. This will ensure everything has been documented correctly and your interests are protected. You should never sign anything until you are completely happy that you understand what you're commiting to and what your tenant obligations are.
Employment Law
Relocating your business means you have to think about how to lawfully relocate your staff. This means reviewing their employment contracts to see whether you, as a company, can legally change their place of work.
If you are downsizing your workforce when you move office, you may need to make redundancies, and you will require proper legal and HR advice to ensure you do this correctly.
Read more about employment law when moving offices with this Moving Office Employment Law Checklist.
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