30 Apr 2020

Coronavirus: Business owner caught by small print in lease

From Morning Report, 7:45 am on 30 April 2020

A Taranaki business owner is warning leaseholders to read the fine print of their contracts after being asked to pay his rent in full despite a clause in his lease allowing for a rent cut if he couldn't legally access the property.

Clause 27.5 was included in the Auckland District Law Society commercial lease in 2012 in response to the Canterbury earthquakes, when many leaseholders were barred from their businesses.

RNZ reporter Robin Martin has more.