Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

26Business Management 2012 2010 Preferred Products Often times, compromises have to be made when develo- ping impression materials. Because normally the rheological properties of stability and good flow characteristics would stand in each other’s way. DMG’s Honigum overcomes these contradictions. Thanks to its unique rheological active matrix, Honigum yields highest ratings in both disciplines. We are very pleased to see that even the noted test institute »The Dental Advisor« values that fact: Among 50 VPS Honigum received the best »clinical ratings«* www.dmg-dental.com honigum. Overcoming opposites. *The Dental Advisor, Vol. 23, No. 3, p 2-5 AZM_Honigum_DeEnItFr_1203.indd 1 02.04.12 09:47 September 10-16, 2012United Kingdom Edition I t is common in the UK for commercial premises to be held by tenants on a leasehold basis, and many dental practitioners will be fa- miliar with some of the prac- tical aspects of that through their own experience. Most leases contain pro- vision that the tenant should keep the property in a good state of repair, maintaining the building to an acceptable standard and generally look- ing after it, on behalf of the landlord or owner of the free- hold. Unless a schedule of con- dition is agreed with the landlord at the outset, the covenant to repair usually ap- plies regardless of whether the property was in a poor state of repair when the lease- holder takes over. This means those who are unprepared could be faced with immedi- ate repair bills for a property they have just taken over. It is no defence for a tenant to plead that “the property was like that when I took over, so why should I improve it”. This is why it is crucial to take proper advice before en- tering into a new lease so that such issues can be negotiated and, where possible, oner- ous repair obligations can be avoided. Naturally, disagreements can occur when freehold- ers believe that their tenants are not keeping the prop- erty in the condition agreed upon. Leases often feature provision for the landlord to inspect the property on re- quest to ensure they can keep an eye on the condition of their investment. Timetable Landlords who feel the repair covenant has been breached can, depending on the terms of the lease, be entitled to serve a schedule of dilapida- tions, which obliges tenants to rectify the breach of the covenant by carrying out the necessary repairs. A timetable for the repairs will be drawn up as part of this process, and if it is breached the landlord may carry out the repairs on the tenant’s behalf and charge them for it. Depending on the lease in question the landlord would usually have a right to serve Complications in the leasehold system Ray Goodman discusses disagreements over property conditions ‘Most leases contain provision that the tenant should keep the property in a good state of repair, maintaining the building to an ac- ceptable standard and generally look- ing after it’