Forfeiture of Leases for Non-payment of Rent - Ten Key Issues [2024]

The logic that if the tenant does not pay the rent the landlord can take the property back continues to have a clear appeal. Forfeiture may be seen as the opportunity to remove the awkward tenant, or it may be the most effective sanction to enforce performance of tenant’s obligations. However, it is an area of law which can be archaic in certain respects, and confusing and technical in others. This session, by the author of ‘A Practical Guide to Forfeiture of Leases’, identifies clearly and practically the important steps to effective use of forfeiture.

At the end of this session, you will be able to recognise the issues raised and evaluate best practice in relation to them:

• Identifying the aim: recovery of possession, or enforcement of lease terms
• Understanding and avoiding waiver of the right to forfeit
• The preliminary formalities
• Changing the locks or going to court?
• Relief from forfeiture – a route through the complexities
• How soon after forfeiture can a landlord re-let the premises?