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Original poster

Cafe lease - rubbish equipment

78 replies

Jochef · 29/10/2025 20:16

Hi
I wondered if anyone could help with some advice or point me in the right direction

My husband and I took a 5 year lease on a Cafe in Cumbria in March 2024.

Long story short - the equipment is simply not up to scratch and it’s very difficult to run the business how we would like to because of the equipment.

The landlord has replaced the dishwasher - that took a year, and recently the oven died, which we had to pay to have repaired. I’ve paid to have the fridge fixed as it was running hot and we’ve bought a lot of new equipment ourselves.

He has offered to ‘go halves’ with us on anything we want to buy - which, obviously we’re not prepared to do.

We have rent arrears now, which I am aiming to clear by mid November.

The thought of staying here for another 3 years makes us feel very miserable.

The business is good, we get cracking reviews and have a good local regular clientele, however, we are finding the landlord very difficult.

Does anyone know how we stand legally ? Sadly we’ve not documented anything, though there is a storeroom with a lot of broken kitchen appliances in it…..

OP posts:
Original poster
Jochef · 29/10/2025 21:17

He’s a horrible man we are learning- so rude and talks my husband and I like we’ve come off the bottom of his shoes.

My fear is that because we have rent arrears now, when I pay them off he will try to get rid of us. Part of me wouldn’t mind. But I’d want the remainder of the lease paying to us, which given the way he is we would have to take him to court.

or we suck up the next 3 years.

Have I understood that if the oven or the fridge breaks for good we’d have to replace it even though it’s not written anywhere that there is a fridge or oven in the cafe ?

OP posts:
Nolift · 29/10/2025 21:17

titchy · 29/10/2025 21:16

Especially as she’s in arrears….

Show quote history

Missed that

OP, you need to be very very grateful

and PLEASE get a solicitor to look for a 5 year commercial tenancy contract in future

Nolift · 29/10/2025 21:18

Jochef · 29/10/2025 21:17

He’s a horrible man we are learning- so rude and talks my husband and I like we’ve come off the bottom of his shoes.

My fear is that because we have rent arrears now, when I pay them off he will try to get rid of us. Part of me wouldn’t mind. But I’d want the remainder of the lease paying to us, which given the way he is we would have to take him to court.

or we suck up the next 3 years.

Have I understood that if the oven or the fridge breaks for good we’d have to replace it even though it’s not written anywhere that there is a fridge or oven in the cafe ?

Horrible man??

He has offered to pay halves on new equipment that you can take with you

and he has absolutely no need to do this contractually at all!!

Nolift · 29/10/2025 21:19

But I’d want the remainder of the lease paying to us, which given the way he is we would have to take him to court.

check the contract fhs

Motnight · 29/10/2025 21:20

Why if the business doing well are you in rent arret?

Nolift · 29/10/2025 21:20

Why are you in arrears if the business is doing well?

Original poster
Jochef · 29/10/2025 21:25

Because he hit us up with a six month bill for electricity- put us massively behind.
Then we’ve had the expense of repairs. No cooker no food. No fridge no food
And now, to be quite honest im pissed off.

He can have his money, but now going forward- cooker breaks, even though it’s 15 years old - we have to replace it ? Is it ours then ? Or his ?

OP posts:
Bambamhoohoo · 29/10/2025 21:25

Jochef · 29/10/2025 21:17

He’s a horrible man we are learning- so rude and talks my husband and I like we’ve come off the bottom of his shoes.

My fear is that because we have rent arrears now, when I pay them off he will try to get rid of us. Part of me wouldn’t mind. But I’d want the remainder of the lease paying to us, which given the way he is we would have to take him to court.

or we suck up the next 3 years.

Have I understood that if the oven or the fridge breaks for good we’d have to replace it even though it’s not written anywhere that there is a fridge or oven in the cafe ?

I deal with commercial contracts a lot and it’s unusual for a commercial premises to even include industrial kitchen equipment tbh. The ones I see you’d be fitting this out yourself (which tbh, is advantageous if obviously more expensive)

i assuming cash is too tight to rent or buy commercial equipment?

Nolift · 29/10/2025 21:26

Jochef · 29/10/2025 21:25

Because he hit us up with a six month bill for electricity- put us massively behind.
Then we’ve had the expense of repairs. No cooker no food. No fridge no food
And now, to be quite honest im pissed off.

He can have his money, but now going forward- cooker breaks, even though it’s 15 years old - we have to replace it ? Is it ours then ? Or his ?

So in the six months you didn’t receive a bill… you didn’t make any enquiries?

Original poster
Jochef · 29/10/2025 21:26

Nolift · 29/10/2025 21:19

But I’d want the remainder of the lease paying to us, which given the way he is we would have to take him to court.

check the contract fhs

I have, but it’s in legal speak. So I don’t know what I’m reading

OP posts:
Nolift · 29/10/2025 21:27

Are you saying that you’ve had to shut the business if “no food”?

have you had Health and Safety in!??

Nolift · 29/10/2025 21:27

Jochef · 29/10/2025 21:26

I have, but it’s in legal speak. So I don’t know what I’m reading

Show quote history

You need to go to a solicitor op
tomorrow

Nolift · 29/10/2025 21:27

What is your hygiene rating?

Original poster
Jochef · 29/10/2025 21:28

Nolift · 29/10/2025 21:26

So in the six months you didn’t receive a bill… you didn’t make any enquiries?

Show quote history

We did monthly, then we get a bill, with charges on for when we weren’t even there, plus a bill for January when we were closed

OP posts:
Original poster
Jochef · 29/10/2025 21:29

Nolift · 29/10/2025 21:27

What is your hygiene rating?

5
why ?

OP posts:
Original poster
Jochef · 29/10/2025 21:31

Nolift · 29/10/2025 21:27

Are you saying that you’ve had to shut the business if “no food”?

have you had Health and Safety in!??

I’m saying the fridge is running warm (counter top fridge) so food had to be binned and we had to wait for it to be fixed .
Oven is the same, no breakfast nothing to cook them in.

OP posts:
Original poster
Jochef · 29/10/2025 21:32

Nolift · 29/10/2025 21:27

You need to go to a solicitor op
tomorrow

Show quote history

What kind do I need to look for ?

OP posts:
Nolift · 29/10/2025 21:32

Jochef · 29/10/2025 21:31

I’m saying the fridge is running warm (counter top fridge) so food had to be binned and we had to wait for it to be fixed .
Oven is the same, no breakfast nothing to cook them in.

Show quote history

So you’ve had to close the business quite often then?

Nolift · 29/10/2025 21:32

Jochef · 29/10/2025 21:32

What kind do I need to look for ?

Show quote history

Contract

Nolift · 29/10/2025 21:33

Jochef · 29/10/2025 21:29

5
why ?

Show quote history

Oh come on op
you’re talking about fridges not working
you don’t think that is a H&S issue?

Original poster
Jochef · 29/10/2025 21:33

We have yes, and lost customers because of it.

OP posts:
Nolift · 29/10/2025 21:34

Jochef · 29/10/2025 21:33

We have yes, and lost customers because of it.

Live and learn

spend on a solicitor to look over a 5 year commercial tenancy contract

Original poster
Jochef · 29/10/2025 21:34

Nolift · 29/10/2025 21:33

Oh come on op
you’re talking about fridges not working
you don’t think that is a H&S issue?

Show quote history

While they were too warm we weren’t open. I’m not going to sell food that’s been sat in a warm fridge. 🤮

OP posts:
Bambamhoohoo · 29/10/2025 21:35

The question about equipment seems to have been answered unless I’ve missed something?

you need a commercial real estate / property lawyer. But I think you need to know what you want to ask them because they’re not cheap.

Nolift · 29/10/2025 21:36

Jochef · 29/10/2025 21:34

While they were too warm we weren’t open. I’m not going to sell food that’s been sat in a warm fridge. 🤮

Show quote history

Well, good 😕

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