The Supreme Court has upheld an appeal against the High Court ruling in a dispute over the rent payable by the company behind Bewley’s Café for the lease of its well known premises on Dublin’s Grafton Street. In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court decided that the rent review clause in the lease of the iconic Grafton Street property is effective to operate as an upwards only rent review.

The High Court decision had caused significant uncertainty as to the efficacy of upwards only rent review clauses generally in leases granted before March 2010. While the decision was based on the particular facts of the case and not intended to be of general application, the Supreme Court judgment will be greeted with relief by NAMA and all landlords and investors. It is likely to act as a further stimulus to international and domestic investor interest in Ireland’s recovering commercial property sector.

Contributed by Andrew Muckian.

Back to Legal News