Leases, Licences &
Occupation Arrangements
Many charities and faith-based organisations rely on non-standard or informal arrangements for the occupation and use of their buildings.
Getting these arrangements right protects your organisation, your trustees and the people who use your buildings.
Why occupation arrangements matter
How a building is occupied affects legal rights and obligations, repair responsibility, security of occupation, trustee risk exposure and future flexibility. Getting the structure right from the outset — or regularising existing arrangements — is essential.
Our Services
Occupation and leasing services for charities
Leases and underleases
Granting or taking leases, reviewing historic leases, renewals, variations and exits. We advise on the implications of each arrangement and ensure documentation is fit for purpose.
Licences to occupy
Drafting and reviewing licences, community use arrangements, temporary arrangements, shared use, and avoiding licences unintentionally becoming tenancies.
Occupational arrangements for ministers and workers
Occupational licences linked to roles, ministerial housing, ending occupation when roles change, and regularising historic arrangements that may not reflect current legal requirements.
Shared and community use
Shared use agreements, regular hirers, safeguarding control and responsibilities. Ensuring your organisation retains appropriate oversight and legal protection.
Regularising informal arrangements
Reviewing and updating documentation in a constructive, proportionate way — without disrupting existing relationships or creating unnecessary risk.
What we do not advise on
We do not advise on charity law regulation, Charity Commission consents or constitutional matters. Where specialist charity regulatory advice is required, we will identify this early.
Fees and affordability
Clear fee estimates at the outset, fixed or capped fees where possible, and proportionate advice. See our Fees & Pro Bono page.
Client Experiences
What Charities & Trustees Say
“PDA Law guided our trustees through the sale of a redundant church building and the acquisition of a new community hub. They understood the Charity Commission requirements, the trustee obligations and the practical pressures we faced — and delivered a smooth transaction on time.”
Trustees, North West Church
Property disposal & acquisition, Chester area
* Details anonymised to protect client confidentiality. Experiences reflect genuine client engagements.
Free Resource Guides
Download our free guides for charity trustees — including the charity lease checklist and SDLT exemption guide.
8 pages · Free Guide
Trustee Guidance Notes
Duties, responsibilities & decision-making
A practical reference guide for charity trustees covering their core legal duties, decision-making obligations, Charity Commission requirements and how to protect themselves from personal liability.
- Core trustee duties under the Charities Act 2011 (as amended by the Charities Act 2022)
- Key changes introduced by the Charities Act 2022: easier disposal of charity land, relaxed trustee benefit and payment rules, and simplified merger procedures
- Acting in the best interests of the charity
- Managing conflicts of interest
- Trustee decision-making and resolutions
- Charity Commission reporting obligations
- Personal liability — when trustees are at risk
- Property transactions: what trustees must do
5 pages · Free Guide
Charity Lease Checklist
Before you sign — key points for trustees
A step-by-step checklist for charity trustees reviewing or negotiating a lease. Covers the key clauses to check, the questions to ask your solicitor, and the trustee resolutions required before exchange.
- Lease term, break clauses and renewal rights
- Rent review provisions and frequency
- Repairing obligations — full repairing and insuring leases
- Alterations and fit-out rights
- Assignment and subletting restrictions
- Charity Commission consent requirements
- Trustee resolutions before exchange
6 pages · Free Guide
SDLT & Stamp Duty Guide for Charities
Charities are exempt from Stamp Duty Land Tax
A clear guide to Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) for charities. Charities are exempt from SDLT on property purchases where the property is held for charitable purposes — this guide explains the exemption, how to claim it and the conditions that apply.
- What is Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT)?
- The charity SDLT exemption — how it works
- Conditions for claiming the exemption
- What "held for charitable purposes" means
- Mixed-use properties and partial exemption
- How to claim the exemption on your SDLT return
- Clawback provisions — when the exemption is lost
Your Specialist Solicitors
Paul D'Ambrogio
Founding Director & Solicitor
Paul D'Ambrogio is the founding Director of PDA Law with 30 years' experience as a qualified solicitor. He has guided clients through an extraordinary range of legal matters — from individuals seeking straightforward advice to charities for whom PDA Law has become an integral part of their mission. Paul understands that clients are not merely paying for legal services — they are people with real problems, reaching out for help at some of the most challenging moments of their lives.
Ana Pestana
Solicitor — Commercial Property
Ana is a commercial property solicitor with several years' post-qualification experience advising institutional investors, developers, landlords, tenants, lenders and corporate occupiers on transactional and advisory real estate matters. She brings a thorough, commercially minded approach to every instruction, ensuring clients receive clear, practical advice at every stage of their transaction.
Get in Touch
Make an enquiry
Tell us about your lease or occupation arrangement. We will review your details and be in touch within one working day.
Related Charity Legal Services
Property & Land
Buying, selling, leasing and developing charity property and church buildings.
Supported Housing, Tenancies & Licensing
Specialist advice for charities housing vulnerable people.
Employment
Employment contracts, ministers and workers, HR support for charities.
Speak to a charity property solicitor
Clear, proportionate advice on leases, licences and occupation arrangements — costs explained before any work begins.
No obligation — talk through your options first. Clear fees confirmed in writing.