Guidance for commercial tenants
Additional tenant responsibilities
The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)
The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 aims to end the discrimination that many disabled people face. This Act has been significantly extended, by regulations made in 2003 which abolished the exemption from the 1995 Act for small businesses and by the Disability Discrimination Act 2005. The Act now gives disabled people specific rights in the areas of for example; employment, access to goods, facilities and services.
There are around 10 million disabled people in the UK and you must not discriminate against disabled people who use your goods and services or disabled people you employ or who apply to you for employment. Businesses that provide a service to the public are legally required to make reasonable adjustments to the physical features of their premises that act as a barrier or to offer an alternative means of accessing the service provided.
Further information is available from:
Business Continuity Planning
Business Continuity Planning is the means by which organisations plan to maintain their business in the event of adverse impact to critical elements of that business. It is the process of planning for the unexpected.
An effective plan will provide you with procedures to minimise the effects of unexpected disruptions. The plan should enable your business to recover quickly and efficiently, with the minimum disruption to your day-to-day activities.
Further information is available from:
Advice is also available from the Council's Emergency Planning Team. For further information see Business continuity.
Energy Performance Certificates
From 1st October 2008 an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) will be required on the sale, rental or upon construction of all appropriate commercial buildings.
This will include the assignment or sub-letting of premises. In these circumstances the responsibility for obtaining the certificate rests with the tenant, as you will be selling your interest in the premises. The certificate is valid for ten years, providing there have been no material changes.
An EPC Certificate is required for buildings that have a roof and walls and use energy to condition the indoor climate (i.e. heating system, air conditioning or mechanical ventilation).
Further information is available from the Department for Communities and Local Government: A guide to energy performance certificates for the construction, sale and let of non-dwellings|
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Business rates
Business Rates or the National Non-Domestic Rates are the means by which businesses and others who occupy non-domestic property make a contribution towards the cost of local services. The Rates are collected on a local basis by the Council and then paid into the Non-Domestic Rating Pool held by Central Government. Monies are then redistributed to Councils by way of a prescribed formula.
Small Business Rate Relief is available subject to specified conditions in respect of premises with a rateable value below £15,000 per annum.
Further information and advice is available from Business rates.
