Renewing Victorian Retail Leases

Where a tenant has an option for a further term granted to it under the terms of a lease (or a subsequent deed varying the lease), in the majority of cases for standard commercial (non-retail) leases it is the tenant that takes the first step in exercising the option.  

For the exercise of the option to be valid, the option must be exercised within the option exercise period defined in the lease.  If the tenant exercises its option outside the option exercise period, the landlord is generally not obliged under the terms of most leases to renew the lease for the further term, and the lease will terminate at the end of the current term.

However, for leases of “retail premises” governed by the Retail Leases Act 2003 (VIC) (Act), the landlord is required to act first.

As mentioned in our earlier blog on 13 October 2016, Section 28 of the Act provides:

• If a lease contains an option exercisable by the tenant to renew the lease for a further term, the landlord must notify the tenant in writing of the date after which the option is no longer exercisable (Last Date for Exercising the Option).  That notice (Notice) is to be given at least 6 months and no more than 12 months before the Last Date for Exercising the Option. 


• However, the landlord is not required to provide the Notice if the tenant exercises or purports to exercise the option before receiving the landlord’s Notice;


• If the landlord fails to provide the Notice to the tenant within the required timeframe, the lease is taken to provide that the Last Date for the Exercising Option is extended to a date which is 6 months after the date landlord provides the Notice to the tenant (Extended Last Date);


• If the Extended Last Date occurs after the expiry date of the current term set out in the lease, the lease continues until the Extended Last Date; 


• If the tenant exercises the option prior to the Extended Last Date, the new lease commences at the expiry date of the old lease, rather than the total term of the lease being extended.

Consequently, an unplanned extension of the option exercise period may occur where a landlord fails to provide, or is late in providing, the Notice to the tenant.

For tenants, however, it would be prudent to formally exercise their option for a further term within the option exercise period, rather than wait for the landlord to serve the Notice.  Section 28 does not prevent tenants from the exercising their options prior to receiving the Notice.

In circumstances where:

1. a retail leasing tenant has failed to exercise its option for a further term within the option exercise period recorded in the lease; and


2. the landlord has indicated that it is not willing to accept the tenant’s exercise of its option outside that option exercise period, and has required the tenant to vacate the premises at the end of the current term.

Section 28 may provide a solution (by extending the Last Date for Exercising the Option) if the landlord has not served the Notice on the tenant.

If you require assistance regarding exercising an option under a retail premises lease in Victoria, please contact Andrew Bini, Senior Commercial Lawyer, Nevett Ford Melbourne. 

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Retail Leasing

Landlords should avoid delays in providing executed Lease document to tenants

Section 22 of the Retail Leases Act 2003 (Vic) (RLA) provides:

1. Within 28 days (or such other period as is agreed in writing between the landlord and the tenant) after being given a copy of the retail premises lease signed by the tenant, the landlord must give the tenant a copy (which may be a photocopy) of the lease signed by the landlord and the tenant.


2. If the landlord fails to provide the executed lease to the tenant within that period, the tenant may give the landlord a written notice of termination of the lease at any time within 28 days after:


1. the tenant is given a copy of the lease signed by the landlord and the tenant; or


2. entering into the lease, 

whichever happens last.

1. If the tenant gives the landlord a notice of termination in accordance with the above, the lease terminates 14 days after the notice is given.

Accordingly, Section 22 requires a landlord to give to the tenant a copy of the lease document signed by both the landlord and the tenant within 28 days of receiving a copy of the lease document signed by the tenant.

A failure by a landlord to provide the fully executed lease document to the tenant within that 28 day period, places the tenant in a position where the tenant obtains a window of opportunity to terminate the lease.

In an effort to avoid the situation where the tenant is empowered to terminate the lease under Section 22, we suggest that if, prior to the execution of the lease documents, a landlord anticipates a delay in returning the fully executed lease document to the tenant, then the landlord should ensure the lease contains a provision which allows the landlord to return the executed lease document to the tenant outside of the 28 day period. This is allowable because Section 22 clearly states “within 28 days, or such other period as is agreed in writing between the landlord and the tenant”.

If you require assistance with retail leasing please contract Andrew Bini. 

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