Your Barbershop Lease Questions - Answered

Published 17th Jan 2023 by Charlotte Grant-West
Your Barbershop Lease Questions - Answered







Have you always dreamt of leasing your own barbershop? Modern Barber sat down with Denise Ferguson of Find Surveyors to find out the answers to all your barbershop lease questions to help you get started.

What should shops know before taking on a lease?





In short, you don’t have to accept the terms that are offered – you can negotiate. Without getting a valuation, you are potentially pushing the rental valuation up in your area. Surveyors are the only people qualified to value the rental valuation of property.

Should I get a short- or long-term lease?


If you know that this barbershop isn’t your long-term goal, you may wish to agree to a short-term lease and move the shop’s location. Or, you might want to agree to a long-term lease, with break options, to give you stability. Or, you could agree to a long-term lease with a plan to sell in the future – then you can build up accounts to the value of the shop.

Do I need a break clause?


While they do give you a fixed date of when you can break the lease, there are other alternatives. Often, when a business owner finds themselves needing to action the break clause, it’s rarely at a time that it can be actioned. Being able to assign the lease would be far more beneficial to most business owners.

I want to rent out a chair in my barbershop. Does the lease need to factor this in?


Most leases would automatically prohibit you from renting out chairs, so check! You would need to agree to the ability to sublet, in order for you to issue a lease (or licence) to people you are renting space to. Many barbershops treat renters as self-employed staff, but giving away space in your shop, to another business, is a property transaction and needs to be documented within a lease, not a self-employed contract.

How often can a landlord make rent increase?


It’s standard practice for longer leases to be five-yearly, and shorter three-yearly. I’m not a fan of Retail Price Index (RPI) increases, because this artificially increases market rent during times of market downturn. Open market rent reviews reflect what the market is doing, as long as tenants don’t just agree to whatever increase they are given, and seek professional advice when they receive a rent review notice.




5 TOP TIPS for TAKING ON A LEASE


1. Service charge


This would also include a sink fund (where service charge monies are kept on account for future big projects). For example, roof repairs! Service charges should only be paid for the costs of maintaining areas of the premises that you benefit from.

2.  Insurance rent


Landlords generally insure the building, and the tenant pays the landlord back for this cost by way of insurance rent.





3. Business rates







You can check the business rates costs online, prior to taking on a property. Build them into your business plan before you agree to a lease.





4 .New utilities


If you want an additional electricity line, or gas connection, watch out for big costs and delays. Fit out costs can be anything from £5k to £100k.





5. Utility costs







Think about utility costs and the cost of putting in professional help. Maybe factor in getting professional help to get the lease right for your business (our prices start at £1,250.)




 

Denise Ferguson on Barbershop lease adviceDenise Ferguson is the founder of Find Surveyors and has a background in commercial property spanning 15 years.



 









 

Don't miss our recent chat with Rino Riccio on inspiring the youth of today.


Charlotte Grant-West

Charlotte Grant-West

Published 17th Jan 2023

Charlotte oversees the print magazine, website and social media channels at HJ. With over a decade of experience as a journalist, Charlotte was formerly Editor of Modern Barber and HJ Men, Social Editor at Netmums and Features Writer at Boots Health & Beauty magazine. She loves any products that make her hair bigger and more voluminous, and loves a behind-the-scenes peek at anything hair-related – whether it's a factory tour, BTS on a shoot or backstage at fashion week.

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