Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery (CRAR) & Forfeiture of Lease in Kent
Commercial Tenant Problems in Kent? We Can Help
If your commercial tenant in Kent is not paying rent or you need to regain possession of your property, Absolute Enforcement can help.
We assist commercial landlords, managing agents and property professionals with enforcement matters across the county, from Maidstone and Ashford to Canterbury, Dartford, Dover, Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding areas.
Depending on your circumstances, Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery (CRAR) may provide a route for recovering qualifying unpaid commercial rent, while forfeiture may be considered where your priority is recovering possession and there is a lawful right to forfeit.
These are separate remedies, and choosing one course of action can affect the options available. Our team can help you identify the appropriate enforcement route before you proceed.
Commercial Tenant Not Paying Rent in Kent?
Unpaid commercial rent can quickly become a significant issue for landlords, particularly where arrears continue to increase while the tenant remains in occupation.
Where the statutory requirements are satisfied, Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery (CRAR) may allow a landlord to instruct enforcement agents to recover qualifying unpaid commercial rent without first obtaining a court judgment.
CRAR is focused on rent recovery rather than ending the tenancy, meaning the commercial lease can remain in place while enforcement action is taken.
Absolute Enforcement assists landlords with commercial rent enforcement across Kent, including instructions involving retail, office, hospitality, industrial and other commercial premises.
Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery (CRAR) in Kent
If your commercial tenant remains in occupation and owes qualifying rent under their lease, CRAR may provide an enforcement route for recovering the arrears where the statutory requirements are satisfied.
Our team can manage the instruction through to enforcement at the commercial premises, with Certificated Enforcement Agents undertaking the enforcement action.
Kent has a varied commercial property market, from shops and offices in Maidstone, Canterbury and Tunbridge Wells to warehouses, workshops, industrial units and distribution premises around Ashford, Dartford, Sittingbourne and other established commercial areas.
For detailed information about CRAR eligibility, the enforcement process and current costs, please visit our main Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery page.
Need to Regain Possession of Your Commercial Property?
Recovering unpaid rent is not always the landlord’s main objective. In some circumstances, the priority may instead be to regain possession of the commercial premises.
Where the landlord has a lawful right to forfeit, forfeiture may provide a route to bringing the commercial lease to an end and recovering possession of the property.
The appropriate approach depends on matters including the terms of the lease, the nature of the breach and the circumstances surrounding the property and occupation. Landlords should therefore establish their position before taking enforcement action.
Absolute Enforcement can assist with both straightforward commercial possession instructions and matters requiring more detailed operational planning, including larger or more complex commercial premises.
CRAR or Forfeiture: Which Route Should You Take?
CRAR and forfeiture are different remedies, and the route chosen can affect the options available to a landlord.
CRAR normally focuses on recovering qualifying unpaid commercial rent while allowing the lease to continue. Forfeiture normally focuses on recovering possession and bringing the commercial lease to an end where a lawful right to forfeit exists.
If you are considering both options, speak to our enforcement team before proceeding so that the appropriate route can be identified.
Commercial Landlord Enforcement Across Kent
Kent contains a diverse commercial property market spanning major town centres, coastal locations, industrial areas, business parks and important transport and distribution corridors.
Absolute Enforcement can assist landlords across areas including Maidstone, Ashford, Canterbury, Dartford, Gravesend, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Sittingbourne, Dover, Folkestone, Margate and Ramsgate, as well as surrounding towns and communities.
The nature of commercial property varies considerably across the county. North and north-west Kent include substantial industrial, warehouse and distribution activity, while Maidstone and other established centres contain a mixture of offices, retail premises, hospitality businesses and commercial estates. East Kent combines major commercial centres with coastal retail, hospitality, industrial and transport-related premises.
We can assist with enforcement involving a wide range of commercial property, including:
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Retail units and shops
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Offices and business centres
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Restaurants, pubs and hospitality premises
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Industrial units and estates
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Warehouses and distribution premises
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Workshops and garages
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Mixed commercial developments
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Business parks
For landlords and managing agents responsible for multiple properties, Absolute Enforcement provides the advantage of using one specialist enforcement company for instructions across Kent and throughout England and Wales.
Commercial Enforcement Coverage Throughout Kent
Kent’s size and commercial diversity mean that enforcement instructions can involve very different types of property and operating environments.
A landlord with a retail unit in Canterbury or Tunbridge Wells may face different practical circumstances from one dealing with an industrial unit near Ashford, a warehouse in north Kent or commercial premises in Dover or Folkestone.
Absolute Enforcement can assist landlords with individual commercial properties as well as managing agents and property professionals responsible for portfolios spread across several Kent towns and districts.
Our wider coverage across England and Wales also means clients with properties beyond Kent can place instructions with the same specialist enforcement company rather than having to source a different provider for each region.
Why Kent Commercial Landlords Choose Absolute Enforcement
Absolute Enforcement specialises in professional enforcement and commercial property matters, supporting landlords and property professionals with both rent recovery and possession-related instructions.
Our clients benefit from:
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Experienced Certificated Enforcement Agents
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Specialist Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery experience
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Commercial lease forfeiture experience
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Commercial landlord enforcement expertise
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Enforcement coverage throughout Kent
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Nationwide enforcement capability across England and Wales
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Dedicated case management
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Regular communication throughout instructions
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Professional reporting and evidence
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Experience with straightforward and complex commercial enforcement
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Experience planning higher-risk enforcement operations
Absolute Enforcement has also featured on Channel 5’s Call the Bailiffs: Time to Pay Up, which gave viewers an insight into enforcement work carried out by members of our enforcement team.
How We Help Commercial Landlords in Kent
1. Tell Us About the Problem
Provide us with details of the commercial property, tenant, arrears or lease issue.
2. Identify the Appropriate Route
We can help establish whether the instruction relates to CRAR, forfeiture or whether another appropriate recovery route should be considered.
3. Instruct Absolute Enforcement
Once the appropriate route has been established, our team will provide the relevant instruction process.
4. Enforcement
Our enforcement team manages the instruction and keeps you updated as the case progresses.
Frequently Asked Questions About Commercial Landlord Enforcement in Kent
Where the statutory requirements are satisfied, CRAR may allow you to instruct Certificated Enforcement Agents to recover qualifying unpaid commercial rent. Our main CRAR page provides more detailed information about eligibility and the process.
Yes. Absolute Enforcement provides commercial landlord enforcement services across Kent and can assist with instructions in towns, commercial centres and surrounding areas throughout the county.
Where the statutory requirements for CRAR are satisfied, a commercial landlord may be able to instruct enforcement agents to recover qualifying unpaid rent without first obtaining a court judgment. The main CRAR page explains the eligibility requirements in more detail.
If regaining possession is your priority, forfeiture may be an option where you have a lawful right to forfeit the lease. The appropriate route depends on the lease, the breach and the circumstances, so the position should be considered before action is taken.
CRAR generally focuses on recovering qualifying unpaid commercial rent while allowing the lease to continue. Forfeiture generally focuses on recovering possession and ending the commercial lease where a lawful right to forfeit exists.
We can assist with commercial enforcement across Kent, including Maidstone, Ashford, Canterbury, Dartford, Gravesend, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Sittingbourne, Dover, Folkestone, Margate and Ramsgate, together with surrounding areas.
Yes. We can assist landlords and property professionals with qualifying commercial rent recovery and commercial possession matters involving shops, offices, industrial units, business premises and other commercial properties in Maidstone and the surrounding area.
No. Absolute Enforcement operates across England and Wales, allowing landlords, managing agents and property professionals with premises in multiple regions to use one specialist enforcement company.
Need Help With a Commercial Tenant in Kent?
Whether you need to recover qualifying unpaid commercial rent or your priority is regaining possession of a commercial property, Absolute Enforcement can help you identify the appropriate enforcement route.
Speak to our team about your Kent commercial property, tenant and circumstances, and we can explain the next steps for placing an instruction.
