Deed of variation of lease

3 Reviews
Select support levelCompare
Recommended

Document overview

Use this deed of variation to record an agreement between a landlord and a tenant to change the terms of a property lease. We include text for some of the commonest reasons to need this document.
Compliant
Compliant with the latest law in
  • England & Wales
  • Scotland
Document propertied
Document properties
  • Length:3 pages (450 words)
  • Available in:
    MsWordMicrosoft Word DOCXApple pagesApple PagesRTFRTF
watertight guarantee
Backed by our watertight guarantee

If the document isn’t right for your circumstances for any reason, just tell us and we’ll refund you in full immediately.

writing in plain english
Written in plain English

We avoid legal terminology unless necessary. Plain English makes our documents easy to understand, easy to edit and more likely to be accepted.

Notes
Guidance notes included

You don’t need legal knowledge to use our documents. We explain what to edit and how in the guidance notes included at the end of the document.

email
Support from our legal team

Email us with questions about editing your document. Use our Lawyer Assist service if you’d like our legal team to check your document will do as you intend.

Update
Up to date with the latest law

Our documents comply with the latest relevant law. Our lawyers regularly review how new law affects each document in our library.

What is a deed of variation of lease?

This simple deed records particular changes by agreement to the terms of an existing lease.

The document is a deed rather than a contract under hand because a lease is a deed and by law, to amend a deed requires another.

Why vary a lease?

It is important that your lease works for you in your current circumstances, whether you are the landlord or the tenant.

While the fundamental details of the transaction are unlikely to change, such as the property being leased, terms that are not at the heart of the transaction may at some point during the lease period no longer suit one party or both.

Alternatively, you might be in the process of buying leasehold property and wish to change some aspect of the current lease such as a restrictive covenant.

Common lease variations

A deed of variation might be used for many reasons, including:

  • removing restrictive covenants, such as those preventing a business being registered to or operated from the property, forbidding certain business uses or for pets to be kept

  • revoking or granting rights of way to common parts

  • giving a licence to use secondary space, such as a garage, cellar or loft space, perhaps for a specific purpose such as storage or parking

  • extending the lease period

  • to correct lease defects such as: unfair terms that would not be legally enforceable; inadequate provisions, for example, for claiming back the cost of services provided by a landlord; outdated terms in older leases given the current state of the property such as to maintain outbuildings that no longer are standing; provisions that are incompatible with current law; and the absence of provisions relating to matters such as periodic increases to ground rent; and errors in lease plans.

Long lease extension

In the vast majority of cases, lease extension is the most common use for this standard document.

A long leaseholder has a statutory legal right for the lease to be extended by up to 90 years. There are three ways of doing this:

  • by agreeing to another lease

  • by following the statutory process and issuing a section 42 notice under the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993

  • by deed of variation

If the freeholder (or landlord) and the leaseholder (tenant) agree to the change, then variation by deed is by far the cheapest way.

Having an entirely new lease drawn may not be practical and may be expensive. Changing to a new lease is known as surrender and regrant, since the parties must agree to the end the current lease and the terms of the new one. However, there may be other parties, such as a mortgage lender, whose permission is needed for the lease to be ended. Obtaining permission might be difficult and/or expensive. Drawing a new lease requires more work to be done by both the draftsman and the reviewers, increasing legal costs. A new lease may also be seen as an opportunity to include other less favourable terms.

The statutory lease variation process is time consuming and convoluted if both the landlord and the tenant already agree to the changes.

By contrast, a deed of variation can be edited and signed very quickly and for a much lower cost. Because it only considers terms of the lease to be changed, there is less legal work to carry out

Using this variation deed

The property should be located in England and Wales and the lease should be one under the Landlord and Tenant Act.

Variations can be made for commercial or residential property, provided that the property is not let as an assured shorthold tenancy or an assured tenancy.

Informal, voluntary lease extensions might be requested by either the freeholder (or landlord) or the leaseholder (the tenant).

It is usually the freeholder (or landlord) who draws the variation deed but it can be to the advantage of the leaseholder to suggest words in their favour.

We provide simple examples of things you might want to change. You can use your own words to record what you have agreed.

Whoever first suggests the changes or who stands to benefit the most usually pays the legal fees for the document and the review.

You will need a witness to the signature of each party.

Once signed you may need to lodge a copy of the deed with the Land Registry.

It is a good idea not to use a deed of variation if the changes you want to make go to the heart of the transaction, for example, if the property being leased changes, or an additional tenant comes in. For those types of changes, we recommend cancelling the old lease, and creating a new one. We stock a number of leases for business property.

Sample deed of variation of leaseSample page from the deed of variation of lease

CallTalk to us about this document

We are happy to answer any questions you have. Arrange for us to call you.

Recent reviews

Great Service
05 April 2019
I found it useful of course it has to be relevant to each situation. Thank you
Sue Brinkworth
Review of the Australian version
Great Service
03 September 2024
I have used Net Lawman before to purchase other legal documents. I have found the service easy to use. I was initially hesitant but the document downloaded straight away, was easy to use and had good guidance notes with it. Saved money not having to use my solicitor and suited my purpose.
Adrienne Butler
Review of the New Zealand version
Perfect Solution
28 March 2021
I was struggling to come up with the right layout, format and wording to make a change to the existing lease. Googled the form name and Net Lawman was one of the websites that came up. After reviewing the document and instructions decided on Net Lawman and very glad we did.
Easily editable, plain english, well laid out document that gives us confidence we have made the changes properly and legally. Thank you.
DEIRDRE KEALL
Review of the New Zealand version

Choose the level of support you need

Document Only

Complete the document template yourself using our guidance notes
£22.80
(incl VAT)
  • ok This document
  • okDetailed guidance notes explaining how to edit each paragraph
Most Popular

Lawyer Assist

Support from our legal team during and after editing
212 Reviews
£142.80
(incl VAT)
  • ok This document
  • okDocument with guidance notes explaining how to edit each paragraph
  • okUnlimited email support - ask our legal team any question related to completing the document
  • ok
    Review of your edited document by our legal team including:
    • reporting on whether your changes comply with the law
    • answering your questions about how to word a new clause or achieve an outcome
    • checking that your use of defined terms is correct and consistent
    • correcting spelling mistakes
    • reformatting the document ready to sign
© 1999 - 2024 Net Lawman Limited.
All rights reserved