Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery (CRAR)

The documents below can be used in connection with the Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery procedure ("CRAR"), which has been in place since April 2014.

CRAR replaced the old remedy of distress, which allowed landlords to seize and sell property belonging to a tenant who had rent arrears. The new regime is more limited in scope and sets out a prescribed enforcement procedure.

A landlord wishing to use CRAR must appoint an enforcement agent (otherwise known as a bailiff) to act on his behalf. The enforcement agent will then serve notice on the tenant warning him that the CRAR procedure will be used unless the tenant settles the arrears by a specified date. If the arrears are not paid by that date, the enforcement agent may enter the tenant’s property and take control of goods belonging to the tenant. Further notices need to be served once the property has been entered.

If there is a sub-tenant of the property, the landlord has an alternative to appointing an enforcement agent to take control of the tenant’s goods. The landlord can instead serve notice on the sub-tenant requiring the sub-tenant to pay its rent to the landlord rather than to the tenant. There are notices below for the landlord to send to the sub-tenant.

These documents will be of use to landlords and enforcement agents exercising Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery (CRAR) powers. 

A temporary moratorium on exercising CRAR may apply if the arrears in question are 'protected rent debts' under the Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Act 2022. 

Commercial landlords and letting agents need to be aware of The Debt Respite Scheme (Breathing Space Moratorium and Mental Health Crisis Moratorium) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020. These regulations may affect you if your tenant (an individual) is in problem debt.  These regulations prohibit you from chasing your tenant (and anyone who is jointly liable) for rent arrears, charging late interest and fees and taking any enforcement action for rent arrears caught by the moratorium whilst your tenant is in a 'breathing space'.  These regulations mainly affect residential tenancies but commercial tenancies may be caught where the tenant is an individual, they are not registered for VAT and the debts do not relate solely to the business.

• CRAR Notice to Sub-Tenant of Whole of Premises
• CRAR Notice to Sub-Tenant of Part of Premises
• CRAR Withdrawal of Notice to Sub-Tenant
• Authorisation of Enforcement Agent to act for Landlord
• Notice of Enforcement of CRAR
• Notice to Tenant after Entering Premises under CRAR
• Warning to Tenant regarding Immobilisation of Goods under CRAR
• CRAR Inventory of Goods for Single Owner
• CRAR Inventory of Goods for Joint Owners

Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery (CRAR) is part of Property Documents. Just £35.00 + VAT provides unlimited downloads from Property Documents for 1 year.