My small business rented a commercial property for around 3 years. Landlord basically none existent during this time other than their managing agents sending an invoice for rent every month. Some large company hours and hours away in a city the other side of the country.
Anyway, the last year has been really tough so we had to move to a smaller premises to be able to stay afloat.
I issued notice (6 months!) to the landlords agent and asked them to confirm they had sent this on. During the entire time I rented the property I never saw, spoke, or corresponded with the actual landlord it was all via their agent, everything was to go through them.
Anyway, notice sent, agent confirmed landlord received. I continued to send emails to the agent up until the leaving date to remind them I was going.
Comes to the week before I'm leaving and the agent informs me my notice is invalid. Turns out stuck in the very back of the lease (not even in the clause about notice) it says any official correspondence must be sent tracked delivery to the landlord.
My friend who's a solicitor but not specialising in commercial property spoke to someone at her work who informed her it's common practice, albeit morally bankrupt, for these companies to ignore an invalid notice and appear to accept it and purposefully wait until the last minute when it's then too late.
I am now stuck in the lease for another 2 years (can only give notice at 3 or 5 years).
I also have another property now too. Obviously I am falling behind with rent on the old place now.
I haven't been back to the old property since, but happened to be going past the other week and notice the Landlord has put padlocks on the door (which means I'm essentially renting somewhere I couldn't get in if I wanted to), I had a look and apparently this means the landlord has forfeited the Lease themselves.
But no, they are refusing to accept this. Even going so far as to deny doing it. I sent them pictures showing the locks and have had nothing but radio silence since, except of course to continually send me invoices for rent daily.
AIBU to think these landlords are corrupt and should be illegal. I'm just a normal person trying to make a living, with children to feed and this whole situation is a massive stress. I feel harassed receiving invoices every day by their agents, conned by the initial situation and now like I'm being taken for a fool (insisting I pay rent but padlocking the building).