Pubs Code Adjudicator Fiona Dickie said: “The government’s
announcement that pubs in England can reopen from 04 July will be
very welcome to tied pub tenants. However, many challenges and
uncertainties remain for the regulated sector and the period
following re-opening will present pub-owning businesses with a
further test of how fairly they are treating their tied tenants.
“I will therefore be looking closely at how all of the pub-owning
businesses that I regulate adapt their business approaches in
response to the challenging new trading realities in a post-COVID
world. My focus will include how they respond to their Code
obligations in dealing with tenants’ COVID-related debts and the
impact on tied rents set on the basis of pre-COVID assumptions
and expectations.
“I will also continue to press those pub-owning businesses to act
fairly when offering further support to their tied tenants, even
as the COVID emergency restrictions are gradually loosened. This
includes in Wales where re-opening has not yet been announced. My
message to date to tenants whose pub-owning businesses have not
published a transparent methodology for their support has been
clear - if they do not believe they are receiving fair and open
support they should take their concerns direct to their
company’s Code Compliance
Officer. I will receive prompt reports from those pub-owning
businesses about any unsatisfied complaints.
“I will be saying more about Pubs Code rights as the measures
covered in the formal Declaration signed by
each pub-owning business end on 30 June.”
