Disability Access Costs Could be Helped by Rent Reductions

Property consultancy Donaldsons says that business may be able to get a reduction in their rent to recover most of their Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) costs. Donaldsons were asked to represent tenants in three recent rent review abitration cases where the outcome was that the landlord lowered the rent. This was to take into consideration the cost to the tenant for work to help the building comply with the DDA.

The base of this decision is that, at rent reviews, the existing rent is compared to a hypothetical new vacant rent on the market. Because the new unit would already have disability access features in place, the rent on the existing unit would be lowered, taking in account any work costs to bring it to the same standard as the new one.

Helen Kane, partner at Donaldsons, comments: "This is a simple line of reasoning and the arbitrators have accepted it. With DDA adaptation works costing an average £20,000, the decisions over whether the business or the landlord funds the work is crucial."
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