Legal requirements for water and toilets business lease

[NOX]

Hi, Very quick question please, can I lease a business premises without either running water, heating or a toilet as retail premises? Many thanks:)

[boxtops]

whoever occupies it would have an obligation to provide toilet facilities and washing facilities for their staff, surely?

[JonnyBoy12]

Yes, boxy is right. I am very surprised you are asking this question as if this property were a home it would not be legal to live in it.

I would imagine any tenant would demand their mains utilities.

[NOX]

The property is NOT a home, it's a business premises. Don't have a property except this one I've just bought which doesn't have these facilities so don't know the answer myself, but I have someone interested in it as it stands ie with no facilities, so just need an answer based on that.
Is the onus on me to provide these as I am leasing it to the tenant or is the onus on the tenant to make the building up to standard for staff and customers? Many thanks both.

[boxtops]

I'm no expert but your lease would have to specify whose responsibility this is - but since it involves building works and connecting to main drains and water supplies, IMO it would be yours as the landlord, to be providing a building fit for purpose.

[EDDIE51]

No work place can be without toilet and washing facilities so someone will have to provide them. Though a 'portaloo' arrangement might do .Without those I think it could only be used as storage . What is it going to be selling? anything connected with food has even more requierments.

[HowardKennitby]

My understanding is similar to Eddie's. If it is to be a workplace then it needs facilities, otherwise it can only be a storage area.

[NOX]

Hi thanks everyone for the answers. I'm aware that someone has to provide probably at least toilet facilities. I was just wondering however whether that would have to be me or the likely tenant. Many thanks for all your help.

[HowardKennitby]

It seems to me that it depends on what sort of lease/description you are offering.
Are you offering business premises or a storage facility?

[NOX]

Well neither at the moment. It's a property I recently bought with a view to refurbing and eventually letting, which if I did so would clearly involve loos and so on. However someone has approached me who wants to lease it 'as is' as a retail outlet, which is an attractive proposition as it means I wouldn't have to shell out any money immediately and it would start earning straight away, however if I'm then going to be liable for the installation of loos etc anyway, it really would pay me better to refurb first then let it. I have other retail outlets rented out but they all have amenities already so this is an area I've not investigated before.

[EDDIE51]

Places like market stalls don't have facilities, if there are toilets near by it may be possible to use them . I think it needs to be a single worker only though.