Quick answer
Commercial conveyancing is the legal work when you buy, sell or lease business premises, such as a shop, office or warehouse. We check the title, searches and any leases, negotiate the contract or lease, deal with Stamp Duty and register the result at HM Land Registry. Tell us about your deal and we confirm our fee in writing before we start.
On this page
When you need a solicitor
You'll want legal advice when:
- You buy premises for your business, or as an investment with tenants already in place.
- You sell premises and need the contract and the buyer's questions dealt with.
- You take on or grant a lease, as the tenant or the landlord.
- You borrow against business property and the lender needs its charge registered.
If the property is a home, or a flat with a long residential lease, see our buying a house and leasehold pages instead.
What we do for you
- Check the title at HM Land Registry, and any rights, restrictions or charges on it
- Order the searches and read the replies, including planning use where it matters
- Read the leases of any tenants already in the building
- Negotiate the contract or the lease, and explain what each term means for you
- Check the VAT position on the price or the rent
- Deal with your lender's requirements, if you are borrowing
- File the Stamp Duty return and register the property or lease at HM Land Registry
Lease terms worth checking
A business lease is priced by its terms as much as by its rent. These are the ones that tend to cost money later:
- Repair. A "full repairing" lease can make you responsible for putting the building right, not just keeping it as you found it. A schedule of condition, agreed at the start, limits that.
- Rent review. How and when the rent can change, and whether it can only go up.
- Break clause. Your right to end the lease early, and the conditions you must meet exactly to use it.
- Assignment and subletting. Whether you can pass the lease on or sublet if your plans change.
- Renewal rights. Whether you have a right to a new lease at the end of the term, or have agreed to give it up.
What it costs
| Our legal fee | Confirmed in writing before we start, based on the property and the deal |
|---|---|
| VAT | 20% on our fee and on some third-party costs |
| Third-party costs (disbursements) | Extra, such as searches and HM Land Registry fees, listed separately |
How our charges work, including our hourly rates, is set out on our fees page.
Set by the government, shown separately: Stamp Duty Land Tax (Land Transaction Tax in Wales) and the HM Land Registry fee aren't part of our fee.
How it works
How long it takes depends on the deal: how much there is to negotiate, how quickly the other side replies, and any funding or lease dates you are working to. Tell us your deadline at the start.
- Getting startedFee and ID
You tell us about the property and the deal. We confirm our fee in writing and check your ID.
- Checks
We check the title, searches, any existing leases and the replies to our questions.
- Negotiation
We agree the contract or the lease with the other side and report to you on anything that matters.
- Exchange and completion
Once you are happy, the deal becomes binding and then completes on the agreed date.
- After completion
We file the Stamp Duty return and register the property or lease at HM Land Registry.
Where we act
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London office 2nd Floor, 2–5 Minories, London EC3N 1BJ 020 7063 9040
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Leicester office 3rd Floor, St George's House, 6 St George's Way, Leicester LE1 1QZ 0116 393 0334
What clients say
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4.6 from 249 reviews London office, 6 October 2026
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Regulated by the SRA SRA No. 605949, view our record
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CQS accredited Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme
Questions people ask
What is commercial conveyancing?
It is the legal work when property used for business changes hands or is let. That covers buying and selling shops, offices, warehouses and other premises, and agreeing the lease when a business rents them.
How is it different from buying a home?
There is less standard paperwork, so more of the terms are negotiated. Stamp Duty is charged at non-residential rates, VAT can apply to the price, and a lease can tie a business to repair and rent obligations for years. The checks go wider to cover planning use and the terms of any existing leases.
Do I need a solicitor to take on a business lease?
The law does not require one, but a lease is a long contract and the landlord will usually have a solicitor. Repair, rent review and break terms are where the money is, and they are much easier to change before you sign than after.
Is VAT charged on the price of a commercial property?
It can be. If the seller or landlord has opted to tax the building, VAT is added to the price or the rent. Some sales of a let property are treated as the transfer of a going concern and have no VAT. Ask your accountant early, and we check the position in the contract.
How much will it cost?
It depends on the property, the deal and how much has to be negotiated. Tell us what you are doing and we confirm our fee in writing before we start, with VAT and third-party costs shown separately.
Helpful guides
Buying, selling or leasing business premises? Tell us about it.
Tell us about your deal