The BII, BBPA and UKHospitality have together created a best practice guidance on pub repairs and dilapidations in order to support pub companies and tenants.

The organisations said:

"Disputes between tenants and landlords over the issue of dilapidations can be distressing for the parties involved and take time and money on both sides to resolve the disagreement. This can be particularly true when tenants on a longer-term full repairing and insuring (FRI) lease are vacating their pub, and where dilapidations could be substantial.

This best practice guidance has been written to help both pub companies and their tenants, with the aim to minimise the scale and frequency of any disputes thereby benefiting both parties.

While the guidance sets out some specific procedural recommendations for best practice, in essence the purpose of this document is to ensure that throughout a tenant’s occupation of a pub, there is good communication between both parties so that there are no surprises on either side when a lease arrangement is coming to an end. It should be read and used in that context, remembering that it remains guidance rather than legally binding.