Leaving your premises before the lease ends
Do you no longer need your premises, have you outgrown them, or is part of the space unused? We find a company that can take over the whole lease or rent part of the premises on a sublease, with the aim of reducing the cost of space you do not use.
- Suitable for
- Closing down, outgrown the premises or space to spare
- Two routes
- Assign the whole lease or sublet part of the premises
- Get in touch
- As soon as the premises no longer meet your needs
- Cost
- We go through the cost in the first call Read more
Help when the premises no longer meet your needs
There are several reasons to want to leave premises before the lease expires. Which route suits you depends on why.
You do not need the premises
You are closing down the operations in the premises. Another company can take over the whole lease.
The premises have become too small
You are growing faster than planned. Another company can take over the lease, and we help you find larger premises.
The premises are too large
You do not use all the space. You can stay and sublet part of the premises.
We find someone to take over the premises or part of them
You do not have to search yourselves. We keep track of which companies in Stockholm are looking for premises. When we put together proposals for them, we also include premises available through an assignment or on a sublease. That way your premises, or the part you do not use, can be included in their shortlist. There are two routes:
Assign the whole lease
Another company takes over your lease. With the landlord’s consent, you are generally free of the lease after the assignment. Suits you when you are moving out.
Sublet part of the premises
You stay in part of the premises and let the rest to another company. You keep your lease and remain the tenant. Suits you when you have more space than you need.
The process
A short call
You tell us why the premises no longer meet your needs and when you want a solution. We go through which route suits you: assigning the whole lease or subletting part of the premises.
We match your premises with companies looking for space
Your premises, or the part you want to sublet, could be included in the options we present to companies with similar requirements.
Landlord approval
Both assignment and subletting require the landlord’s consent or, in some cases, permission from the Regional Rent Tribunal. The landlord, or the tribunal, therefore decides on the company that will take over or move in.
Why Locality
We know who is searching
Through our ongoing dialogue with companies and landlords, we often know who needs new premises.
We know the market
We have over 25 years of combined experience of the Stockholm market and have been inside almost every office in Stockholm.
Get in touch early
Get in touch as soon as you know the premises no longer meet your needs. That leaves more time to find someone to take over or rent part of them, and to get the landlord’s consent. If you have outgrown the premises, we can search for new ones at the same time.
What does it cost?
Assignments differ, and we go through the cost in our first call.
In short
If you need to leave your premises before the lease expires, you can assign the lease to another company or sublet the premises. If the premises are too large, you can stay and sublet part of them. Both routes require the landlord's consent or, in some cases, permission from the Regional Rent Tribunal, and if you sublet you remain the tenant. Locality helps you find a company that takes over the premises or rents part of them.
Good to know
- The landlord needs to say yes. As a general rule, both an assignment and a sublet require the landlord’s consent. This also applies when you let part of the premises, if the other tenant may use the space independently. If, on the other hand, you share an office with another company without granting an independent right of use, consent is normally not required under the tenancy rules, but the lease may contain specific restrictions. The Regional Rent Tribunal can give permission instead, but only in certain cases.
- Of the two routes, only an assignment releases you from the lease. With consent or permission, you are free of the lease after the assignment, unless the landlord has set another condition. If you sublet all or part of the premises, you remain the tenant and are responsible for the whole lease.
- The subtenant may become entitled to compensation. If the sublet lasts longer than nine months, the subtenant may be entitled to compensation from you when you give notice to end it. That right can be waived in a separate agreement, but in some cases approval from the Regional Rent Tribunal is also required.
- Without permission you can lose the premises. If you assign or sublet without consent or permission, the landlord can terminate the lease early, unless you put the situation right without delay after the landlord has told you to, or apply for permission and are granted it.
Read more in How to rent office space in Stockholm.
If you need legal help, we work with the most experienced lawyers in the industry, who have expertise in your particular issue.
Frequently asked questions
- Can we not just give notice on the lease?
- You can give notice on a lease that runs for an indefinite period. The notice period is usually at least nine months, but it can be longer depending on what you have agreed. A fixed-term lease generally binds you until the end of the term, unless the landlord agrees to something else.
- Can we sublet all of the premises instead of assigning the lease?
- Yes, if the landlord agrees. You then remain the tenant and are responsible to the landlord for your obligations under the lease. After an assignment you are generally free of the lease.
- What happens if the landlord says no?
- If the landlord refuses an assignment without reasonable cause, or does not reply within three weeks, you may give notice on the lease. If someone is taking over your business, you can also apply for permission from the Regional Rent Tribunal.
- Who is liable for debts from before an assignment?
- You and the new tenant are jointly liable for them, for example for unpaid rent. This applies unless you have agreed otherwise with the landlord.