VCAT just published another decision in which a Tribunal member held that market rent review cause with a ‘cap’does not comply with sub-s 35(2) of the Retail Leases Act 2003 (Vic) (RLA 2003). In the case of Cote Noire Pty Ltd v Roberts Family Enterprises Pty Ltd (Building and Property) 2024 VCAT 810 Deputy President Riegler considered […]

Acting Senior Member Nash at VCAT today handed down an interesting decision about the operation of s 28 of the RLA 2003 in the case of Pagica Pty Ltd atf the Oscinah Trust v Inlet Property Pty Ltd (Building and Property) [2024] VCAT 830.   In summary, the Tribunal found that: a s 28 notice is […]

In an earlier post here I discussed another decision from VCAT holding that rent review by CPI or to the current market rent with a ‘cap‘ on increases is inconsistent with s 35(2) of the RLA 2003. A number of readers have told me that they are following this issue closely and I noted on […]

In the recent decision of Club Fogolar Furlan Melbourne v Paramount Investments Group Pty Ltd [2024] VSC 208 in the Supreme Court of Victoria, Croft J considered whether a default notice alleging arrears of rent could be valid if it did not make an allowance for abatement of rent claimed by the tenant under s 57 of the Retail […]

Have a look at the following text from section 37(2) of the Retail Leases Act 2003 (Vic) (emphasis added): (2) The current market rent is taken to be the rent obtainable at the time of the review in a free and open market between a willing landlord and willing tenant in an arm’s length transaction having regard to these matters— […]

An earlier post on this blog here discusses two cases from Member Nash at VCAT in which the Tribunal held that a rent review covenant with a cap (or, in one case, a cap and collar) was inconsistent with sub-s 35(2) of the RLA 2003.  In another decision handed down today, Acting Senior Member Nash (as the Member […]

Further to my earlier posts here and here, Croft J’s reasons in The Trust Company Limited v Blue Train Cafe Pty Ltd [2024] VSC 232 (10 May 2024) are now available on AustLii. The substance of the appeal was a challenge to the Tribunal’s conditions placed on the grant of an interlocutory injunction.   The landlord and the tenant were in dispute […]

I have had a few inquiries recently about an earlier here in which I discussed the VCAT decision of Blue Train Café Pty Ltd v The Trust Company Limited (Building and Property) [2024] VCAT 75, in which the Tribunal rejected an argument by a landlord that a tenant seeking an injunction to restrain wrongful re-entry should […]

Attached below is an excellent paper produced by barristers Robert Hay KC and Brett Harding discussing recent issues with VCAT’s jurisdiction that went with a video presentation yesterday afternoon.   The paper addresses these issues from retail leasing perspective, so the paper is essential reading for anyone who practices in this area. VCAT’s jurisdiction – An […]

There are a couple of issues that often come up in landlord and tenant cases that were both considered by the Court of Appeal’s decision last week in Brotherhood of St Laurence v Sarina Investments Pty Ltd [2024] VSCA 46 (26 March 2024). First, tenants occasionally try to terminate a lease when the landlord has breached its repair […]