Press release: Pubs Code Adjudicator Releases Results of First Tied Pub Tenant Survey

Most tied pub tenants are aware of the Pubs Code that gives them new rights but have less knowledge about the detail of those rights – the first tied pub tenant survey has revealed.

The Pubs Code Adjudicator Paul Newby today published the findings of an independent survey commissioned to provide more information about the views and experiences of tied pub tenants.

Carried out by experienced research company, GfK, the 2017 survey shows that 72% knew about the Pubs Code but they had lower understanding of its key elements, ranging from 63% of tied pub tenants knowing about the right to a five-yearly rent review to 36% knowing about the right to request a Market Rent Only (or MRO) agreement.

Just over half (53%) of those surveyed were aware of the PCA – with a higher proportion aware of the PCA if they had submitted or considered a MRO option. Those who experienced an event that opened up the right to request a MRO but did not do so cited costs, a belief that few tenants had been successful, that the process was shut down by their pub-owning business, or a concern about making trouble or missing deadlines.

Asked about the pros and cons of being a tied pub tenant, participants said the best aspects were the ability to make choices about how their pub was run, and the backup and support from a big company. More challenging aspects included the costs of tied products and services, unexpected costs associated with starting up, the cost of dilapidations as well as the lack of room for negotiation and lack of clarity over rent calculations.

Another key finding was that more than half the tenants who had experienced a MRO event believed they did not have a genuine choice between a tied and free of tie option. Reasons for this included a lack of transparency around the rent calculation, unaffordability of the MRO proposal or a lack of encouragement from their company’s Business Development Manager.

Many tenants were critical of the general support they received from Business Development Managers although they recognised that the role of these company representatives is vital to successful tenant/landlord relationships and their ability to access their Pubs Code rights.

Paul Newby said: “This survey has provided a very detailed insight into the views and experiences of tied pub tenants. There has been a great deal of talk across the industry about what tenants think and want – but this is the first time that the tenants themselves have been asked for their views.

“The evidence collected will help me target my activity, take up issues of concern with the pub-owning businesses and allow me to track progress over time.

“It reveals a number of priority areas – specifically that more needs to be done across the industry to provide more user-friendly information and greater clarity on MRO issues, and to make progress in changing the culture around the behaviour and operation of Business Development Managers. I was concerned to see the evidence on how often Business Development Managers are changed and the low frequency of contact.

“The Deputy PCA, Fiona Dickie, and I have provided clarity on the terms of Market Rent Only tenancies following recent arbitration awards; advice on this issue was published last week. We are now working on a more detailed response to this survey which we plan to publish shortly. However, the survey provides much food for thought for the pub-owning businesses and I am calling on them to consider their responses to the challenges highlighted.”

Notes to Editors:

1.GfK is an independent research agency that works with government departments and agencies, regulatory bodies, the NHS, local authorities and charities to deliver qualitative and quantitative research to support and inform policy development and evaluation.

2.The tied pub tenant survey was conducted between November 2017 and January 2018. A representative sample of 388 tenants was originally interviewed by telephone and 27 took part in a follow-up depth interview.

3.The full survey results can be found here and the key results here