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Leases

QLD

This publication guides practitioners through the negotiation and drafting of leases in Queensland, including provisions for subleasing, assignment, and termination.

4 Matter Plans

Overview

The Leases commentaries cover the key practical issues of leasing, including negotiation, drafting, registration, renewals, assignments, subleases, termination, common disputes, and remedies.

The Retirement Villages matter plan covers standard contracts and mandatory documents, duties, taxes and rates, commencing and ending a residency, and dispute resolution.

The Reference materials folder includes guidance on electronic signing and remote witnessing, and the Getting the matter underway folder contains essential compliance and client engagement documents. The comprehensive Retainer Instructions ensure that all necessary information is gathered from the client at the outset of the matter.

Also included is 1001 Conveyancing Answers (QLD), which is a useful reference guide.

Precedents in this publication include:

  • Agreements to lease;
  • Deeds of lease;
  • Library of additional clauses for the lease;
  • Library of notices for various situations;
  • Deeds of variation, amendment and assignment.
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4 Matter Plans Included

  • Item icon ALERTS - Nil
  • Item icon Full Commentary - Leases (QLD) - Acting for the Lessor
  • Folder icon Reference materials
    • Item icon AI Prompts
      An AI prompt defines a specific task for AI to perform, like drafting a particular document, and provides clear instructions on how to execute that task. The goal is for the AI to quickly create a useful first draft of a document, which the user verifies and refines into a final version, ultimately ...

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    • Item icon Looking to the Future
    • Item icon Electronic Signing and Witnessing
    • Item icon 1001 Conveyancing Answers (QLD)
    • Item icon 101 Costs Answers
    • Item icon A Brief Explanation of the Transition to E-Conveyancing
    • Item icon Further information
    • Folder icon Papers and articles - Conveyancing and property
      • Item icon Plain language – A paper by the Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG
      • Item icon Adjustment for cladding agreements
      • Item icon Adjustment of rates
      • Item icon Adjustment of rent
      • Item icon Adjustments
      • Item icon Adjustments and land tax in 2024
      • Item icon Agreement to lease
      • Item icon Avoiding off the plan - Quality defects
      • Item icon Avoiding off the plan - Statutory rights
      • Item icon Avoiding off the plan contracts - A sequel
      • Item icon Bits and pieces
      • Item icon Breach of contract - Penalty interest
      • Item icon Breach of contract – Reasonably foreseeable loss
      • Item icon Breach of section 32
      • Item icon Caveats (Vic)
      • Item icon Caveats - Forcible removal 1
      • Item icon Caveats - Forcible removal 2
      • Item icon Caveats - Insufficient proceeds from settlement
      • Item icon Caveats - Tenant’s caveats and the sale or mortgaging of freehold property
      • Item icon Caveats - Use them!
      • Item icon Costs and caveats
      • Item icon Certificates of title in electronic conveyancing
      • Item icon Clayton's settlement
      • Item icon Compensation for loss
      • Item icon Contamination
      • Item icon Contract – Australian Consumer Law – Impact on residential conveyancing
      • Item icon Contract - Avoiding off the plan contracts 1
      • Item icon Contract - Avoiding off the plan contracts 2
      • Item icon Contract - Changing the contract by special condition
      • Item icon Contract - Electronic conveyancing special condition
      • Item icon Contract - Electronic signatures
      • Item icon Contract - Entire contract
      • Item icon Contract - Guarantee
      • Item icon Contract - Is there a contract?
      • Item icon Contract - Misleading contracts
      • Item icon Contract - New contract
      • Item icon Contract - New contract - Contract of sale tweaked
      • Item icon Contract - New contract - Happy anniversary
      • Item icon Contract - New special conditions for contract of sale
      • Item icon Contract - Nomination
      • Item icon Contract - Terms contracts 1
      • Item icon Contract - Terms contracts 2
      • Item icon Contract - Terms contracts 3
      • Item icon Contract - Trust transactions
      • Item icon Cooling off
      • Item icon Co-owners - Joint tenancy or tenancy in common
      • Item icon Co-owners and easements – Two topics
      • Item icon Covenant - Removal of covenants 1
      • Item icon Covenant - Removal of covenants 2
      • Item icon Defects - Essential safety measures - Part 1
      • Item icon Defects - Essential safety measures - Part 2
      • Item icon Defects - Occupancy and insurance certificates
      • Item icon Deposit - Deposit release - 2010
      • Item icon Deposit - Deposit release - 2017
      • Item icon Deposit - Deposit release - A solution?
      • Item icon Deposit - Deposit release - Tough decisions?
      • Item icon Deposit - Deposit release - Why take the risk?
      • Item icon Deposit - Forfeiture of deposit
      • Item icon De-regulated Contract of Sale of Land
      • Item icon Deterioration - A matter of degree
      • Item icon Deterioration - General condition 24 has teeth
      • Item icon Deterioration - State of the premises
      • Item icon Disclosure of death
      • Item icon Estate agent - Agent beware
      • Item icon Estate agent’s commission – Money for nothing
      • Item icon Foreign residents capital gains tax withholding
      • Item icon GST - GST and mistake
      • Item icon GST - Margin scheme
      • Item icon GST withholding
      • Item icon Inadvertent disclosure
      • Item icon Inspection - Right to inspect
      • Item icon Land tax - Part 1
      • Item icon Land tax - Part 2
      • Item icon Land transfer duty benefits
      • Item icon Lease - Abandoned goods
      • Item icon Lease - Landlords beware
      • Item icon Lease - Retail lease
      • Item icon Lease - Retail lease - Predominant use
      • Item icon Lease - Retail lease cost
      • Item icon Lost trust deeds
      • Item icon Material facts
      • Item icon Measurements
      • Item icon Mortgage stress
      • Item icon Nomination
      • Item icon Nomination and the Australian Consumer Law
      • Item icon Nomination disputes
      • Item icon Notice of action
      • Item icon Notices - Liability for notices
      • Item icon Off the plan duty concessions
      • Item icon Owner-builder insurance
      • Item icon Owner-builders
      • Item icon Owners corporations
      • Item icon Personal Property Securities Act
      • Item icon Planning certificates - Accuracy
      • Item icon Power of attorney
      • Item icon Priority notice
      • Item icon Property - Rules and undertakings
      • Item icon Rescission - Consequences of rescission 1
      • Item icon Rescission - Consequences of rescission 2
      • Item icon Rescission - Costs on rescission
      • Item icon Retail lease outgoings
      • Item icon Retail premises
      • Item icon Retail repairs
      • Item icon Retail repairs revisited
      • Item icon Sale of land amendments
      • Item icon Scary short-stays
      • Item icon Self managed superannuation funds
      • Item icon Septic situation
      • Item icon Sheriff - Enforcement procedure
      • Item icon Sheriff's sale - Part 1
      • Item icon Sheriff's sale - Part 2
      • Item icon Solicitor - Lawyers selling real estate
      • Item icon Solicitor – Executor’s commission 1 – Horns of a dilemma
      • Item icon Solicitor - Executor's commission 2 - A fiduciary duty
      • Item icon Solicitor – Liability for commercial advice
      • Item icon Stamp duty concessions
      • Item icon Subdivision - Off the plan sales
      • Item icon Subdivision - Off the plan sales - Best endeavours - Part 1
      • Item icon Subdivision - Off the plan sales - Best endeavours - Part 2
      • Item icon Subdivision - Off the plan sales - Materially affects
      • Item icon Subdivision - Off the plan sales - Sunset conditions
      • Item icon Subdivision - Owners corporation certificates
      • Item icon Subdivision - Owners corporation repairs
      • Item icon Subdivision - Owners corporations
      • Item icon Subject to contract
      • Item icon Sunset clause – Vendor ending a contract – Purchaser’s consent or court order required
      • Item icon Time of the essence
      • Item icon To be or not to Airbnb
      • Item icon Trade practices – Fair trading in property transactions
      • Item icon Vendor statement - Aboriginal Heritage Act
      • Item icon Vendor statement - Breach of section 32
      • Item icon Vendor statement - Growth areas infrastructure contribution
      • Item icon Vendor statement - Honest and reasonable
      • Item icon Vendor statement and leases
      • Item icon Vendor statement review
      • Item icon Vendor statements and the Australian Consumer Law
      • Item icon Vendor's duty to co-operate
      • Item icon Wills and estates - Death in the house
  • Item icon Overview
    The owner of real estate may create a lesser estate in their property by the grant of a leasehold interest giving the right to the lessee to use and enjoy the property to the exclusion of the entire world, including the owner. The leasehold estate is subject to the reversionary interest of the ...

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  • Folder icon A. Getting the matter underway
    • Item icon File cover sheet - Leases
    • Item icon To do list - Leases
    • Item icon First steps
    • Item icon Client details and verifying identity
    • Item icon Verification of identity in electronic conveyancing transactions
    • Folder icon Library of identity and authorisation forms - QLD
      • Item icon Verification of identity certificate
      • Item icon Client authorisation
      • Item icon Identifier declaration
      • Item icon Identity - witnessing certification - outside Australia
      • Item icon Australian Embassy/High Commission/Consulate certification form
      • Item icon Identity agent certification
    • Item icon Retainer instructions - Leases
    • Item icon Conflict of interest check
    • Item icon Initial letter to lessor with costs disclosure
    • Item icon Initial letter to client enclosing costs agreement
    • Item icon Costs agreement - QLD
    • Item icon Scope of work - Leases - Acting for the lessor
    • Item icon Abbreviated costs disclosure - Costs under $3000
    • Folder icon If required - Agent
      • Item icon Initial letter to agent
    • Item icon Time and costs estimates
    • Folder icon If required - Updating costs disclosure
      • Item icon Letter to client updating costs disclosure
      • Item icon Charge securing costs
      • Item icon Guarantee securing costs
      • Folder icon Costs disclosure before settlement in litigation matters
        • Item icon Letter to client - Costs disclosure before settlement - NSW, VIC, and WA
        • Item icon Letter to client - Costs disclosure before settlement - QLD, SA, TAS, ACT, and NT
    • Folder icon General deeds, agreements, execution clauses, and statutory declarations
      • Item icon Deeds and Agreements
      • Folder icon Deeds
        • Item icon Deed for general use
        • Item icon Deed of guarantee
        • Item icon Deed of release
        • Item icon General deed of indemnity
        • Item icon Deed of assignment of agreement
        • Item icon Deed of gift
        • Folder icon Library of standard clauses for deeds
          • Item icon Amendment
          • Item icon Confidentiality for defined information - All parties
          • Item icon Confidentiality for defined information - One party
          • Item icon Confidentiality for terms of deed - All parties
          • Item icon Confidentiality for terms of deed - One party
          • Item icon Costs
          • Item icon Counterparts
          • Item icon Dispute resolution
          • Item icon Events beyond control
          • Item icon Governing law and jurisdiction
          • Item icon Interpretation
          • Item icon No assignment
          • Item icon Notices
          • Item icon Severance
          • Item icon Waiver
          • Item icon Whole agreement
      • Folder icon Agreements
        • Item icon Agreement for general use
        • Item icon Heads of agreement
        • Item icon Non-disclosure agreement - Formal
        • Item icon Non-disclosure agreement - Informal
        • Folder icon Library of standard clauses for agreements
          • Item icon Amendment
          • Item icon Confidentiality for defined information - All parties
          • Item icon Confidentiality for defined information - One party
          • Item icon Confidentiality for terms of agreement - All parties
          • Item icon Confidentiality for terms of agreement - One party
          • Item icon Costs
          • Item icon Counterparts
          • Item icon Dispute resolution
          • Item icon Events beyond control
          • Item icon Governing law and jurisdiction
          • Item icon Interpretation
          • Item icon No assignment
          • Item icon Notices
          • Item icon Severance
          • Item icon Waiver
          • Item icon Whole agreement
      • Folder icon Execution clauses
        • Folder icon Library of execution clauses for agreements
          • Item icon Attorney
          • Item icon Authorised officer
          • Item icon Company
          • Item icon Company - Sole director
          • Item icon Individual
          • Item icon Individual - No witness
        • Folder icon Library of execution clauses for deeds
          • Item icon Attorney
          • Item icon Authorised officer
          • Item icon Company
          • Item icon Company - Sole director
          • Item icon Individual
      • Folder icon Statutory declarations
        • Item icon Commonwealth statutory declaration
        • Item icon Statutory declaration - blank - ACT
        • Item icon Statutory declaration - blank - NSW
        • Item icon Statutory declaration - blank - VIC
        • Item icon Statutory declaration - blank - QLD
        • Item icon Statutory declaration - blank - TAS
        • Item icon Statutory declaration - blank - SA
        • Item icon Statutory declaration - blank - WA
        • Item icon Statutory declaration - blank - NT
        • Item icon Standard annexure note for documents
      • Item icon Standard annexure note for documents
  • Folder icon B. If required - Disclosure statements, outgoings estimate, legal and financial advice
    • Item icon Disclosure statements
      Disclosure statements – Retail lease For any retail lease the Retail Shop Leases Act 1994 provides that certain disclosures must be made.

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    • Item icon Disclosure statement by the lessor
    • Item icon Lessee disclosure statement
    • Item icon Annual estimate of outgoings year ending
    • Item icon Legal advice report
    • Item icon Financial advice report
    • Item icon Lessee waiver - New lease
    • Folder icon Assignment disclosure statements
      • Item icon Assignee disclosure statement
      • Item icon Assignor disclosure statement
      • Item icon Assignee disclosure statement to lessor
      • Item icon Lessee waiver - Assignment
  • Folder icon C. Agreement to lease
    • Item icon Agreement to lease
      ‘Agreement to lease’, ‘agreement for lease’, ‘offer to lease’ and ‘intention to lease’ ‘are all terms that are used interchangeably for a document recording an intention to enter into a lease. Such documents may be specifically expressed as being binding or non-binding and a preference for either ...

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    • Item icon Agreement to lease - General
    • Item icon Agreement to lease - Major construction
    • Item icon Heads of agreement - Offer to lease - Concise
  • Folder icon D. The lease
    • Item icon The components of a lease
      Defining premises It is critical to correctly describe the premises to be leased. The Lease, Titles Office Form 7, should contain the correct lot and plan number and title reference at item 2. Where the premises being leased is part of a lot and not the whole of a lot, item 5 of the form should ...

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    • Item icon Lease or sub lease
    • Item icon Schedule
    • Item icon Schedule - Deed of lease - Retail
    • Item icon Schedule - Deed of lease - Commercial Industrial
    • Item icon Schedule - Deed of lease - Rural
    • Folder icon Library of clauses
      • Item icon Covenants protecting mortgagee's interests clause
      • Item icon Demolition and relocation clause
      • Item icon First right of refusal clause
      • Item icon General consent
      • Item icon Liquor licence - Application clause
      • Item icon Liquor licence - Lessor's consent clause
      • Item icon Liquor licence - Transfer clause
      • Item icon Option to purchase clause
      • Item icon Turnover rent clause
    • Folder icon Other leases and agreements
      • Item icon Deed of lease of business
      • Item icon Car parking licence agreement
      • Item icon Medical centre licence agreement
      • Item icon Short licence agreement of business and premises
    • Item icon Letter to lessor with draft lease and general advice
    • Item icon Enclosure - Advice to parties reviewing a lease
    • Item icon Letter to lessor with leases to sign
    • Item icon Letter to lessee's solicitor submitting lease sublease
    • Item icon Letter to lessee acting for self submitting lease sublease
  • Folder icon E. If required - Sublease, assignment and surrender
    • Item icon Change of parties
      A lease is fundamentally a contract and the normal rules of privity of contract apply. But a lease also relates to real estate, and property law has traditionally affected more than just the parties to the contract. Rights arising from property law may therefore result in the lease affecting more ...

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    • Item icon Liability of original lessee
      Sublease It is the intention of the parties that the lessee will return to ownership of the leasehold at some time prior to expiration of the lease. It is not intended that the lessee’s obligations will be diminished, merely temporarily assumed by the sublessee, so the lessee remains primarily ...

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    • Item icon Enforceability of guarantee on sale of freehold
      It has been held that a guarantee is enforceable by the freehold purchaser. See Lang v Asemo P/L [1989] VicRp 67 and Gumland Property Holdings P/L v Duffy Bros Fruit Market (Campbelltown) P/L [2008] HCA 10.

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    • Folder icon Sublease
      • Item icon Lease or sub lease
      • Item icon Schedule - Deed of sublease - Retail
      • Item icon Schedule - Deed of sublease - Commercial Industrial
      • Item icon Schedule - Deed of sublease - Rural
    • Folder icon Assignment/Transfer
      • Item icon Assignment – Retail tenancy
        Disclosure provisions apply to assignment. See s 22B and s 22C of the Retail Shop Leases Act 1994. An assignor of a retail shop lease must give the prospective assignee a disclosure statement seven days before the earlier of the following (the prescribed disclosure date):

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      • Item icon Letter to lessee's solicitor submitting assignment
      • Item icon Deed of assignment of lease
      • Item icon Transfer
      • Item icon General consent
      • Item icon Assignee disclosure statement to lessor
    • Folder icon Surrender
      • Item icon Surrender of lease
        Surrender by agreement The parties may agree, or be deemed to have agreed, to terminate the lease by the lessee surrendering, and the lessor accepting.

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      • Item icon Letter to lessee's solicitor submitting surrender
      • Item icon Surrender of freehold lease or Land Act sublease
      • Item icon Deed of surrender of lease
  • Folder icon F. If required - CPI, statutory declarations and amendment
    • Item icon Letter to lessee for CPI rent increase
    • Folder icon Statutory declarations
      • Item icon Statutory Declaration
      • Item icon Clause - Statutory declaration of solicitor - Request to cancel lease
      • Item icon Clause - Statutory declaration of lessor lease expired without option exercise
    • Folder icon Amendment
      • Item icon Letter to lessee's solicitor submitting amendment
      • Item icon Amendment with blank schedule
      • Item icon Deed of amendment - Unregistered lease
      • Item icon Deed of variation of lease - Deferral of rental payments
      • Item icon Deed of variation of lease - Deferral of rental payments during COVID-19
      • Item icon Deed of variation of lease - Extension of unregistered lease
  • Folder icon G. Notices, disputes, interference, breach and forfeiture
    • Item icon Disputes, interference, breach and forfeiture
      Disputes In shopping centres disputes which commonly arise concern relocation, exclusivity, fit-out requirements, turnover rental, promotion funds and signage.

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    • Folder icon Library of notices
      • Item icon Notice of exercise of option
      • Item icon Notice to remedy breach of covenant
      • Item icon Notice of termination
      • Item icon Notice of termination of periodic tenancy
      • Item icon Relocation notice
      • Item icon Termination notice following relocation notice
      • Item icon Termination notice for demolition
  • Folder icon H. If required - Mortgagee
    • Item icon Consent of mortgagee to lease
      If the property is mortgaged, the lessee should ensure that the lessor obtains the mortgagee’s consent to the lease, although there is no legislative requirement for this. Without mortgagee consent, no legally binding relationship exists between the lessee and mortgagee and if the lessor defaults ...

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    • Item icon Letter to mortgagee for consent and production
  • Folder icon I. Finalising the matter
    • Item icon Costs and transfer duty
      Generally It is normal for the lessor to arrange for preparation of the lease. As a result, it is normal for the lease to provide that the lessee will be responsible to pay the lessor’s legal cost. However these provisions are negotiable in all circumstances and in fact prohibited by statute in ...

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    • Item icon Registration of lease
      Leases for terms including option periods that in total exceed three years should be registered to protect the interest of the lessee. The registered copy of the lease is in effect the title of the lessee to its estate and interest in the land. Under the Torrens system, title to a lease estate is ...

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    • Item icon Letter to law stationer requesting attend to register lease
    • Item icon Letter to titles office enclosing lease for registration
    • Item icon Original lease
      Generally Written leases are traditionally prepared in duplicate so that both lessor and lessee will have a ‘copy’ for their records. The lease is the basis of the lessee’s right to possess the property and as such it is the lessee’s title. The lessor is entitled to retain the certificate of title ...

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    • Item icon Letter to lessee's solicitor with lessee's copy of the document
    • Item icon Letter to lessor finalising the matter and enclosing lessor's copy of the document
    • Item icon Example invoice incorporating notification of client's rights - QLD
    • Item icon Invoice recital - Leases
    • Item icon Closing the file
    • Item icon File closing checklist
  • Item icon Comments and suggestions for By Lawyers

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