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Upwards-only rent review (UORR) clauses have long been standard in UK commercial leases, ensuring rent can only stay the same or rise at review. They provide landlords, investors and lenders with income certainty but have often left tenants paying above-market rent during market downturns.

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 (Royal Assent 29 April 2026) prohibit upwards-only mechanisms in most new business tenancies in England and Wales. The date of implementation is not yet known but is likely to occur shortly, following which open-market, index-linked, or turnover-based reviews with an upwards-only element will generally become unenforceable. Rents will be able to move both up and down. Existing leases are largely unaffected, but new and renewed leases will fall under the new rules. This is one of the biggest changes to commercial leasing since the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954.

Please click the link below to read our full blog:

Upwards-Only Rent Reviews - What the Reform Means for Landlords and Tenants