Star Pubs and Bars offers licensees 100% rent concessions

Star Pubs and Bars has announced it is offering its licensees 100% rent concessions, in a bid to support its tenanted pubs through England’s second lockdown of this year. 

The group is to offer zero rent entirely for all its pubs on core leased and tenanted agreements during the four weeks in November in which hospitality businesses are required to close in the UK.

Pubs will receive the concession regardless of whether or not they choose to operate a takeaway service. 

Star Pubs and Bars stated should the national lockdown “continue beyond 2 December 2020”, it will move to a 90% rent reduction for its leased and tenanted pubs until the national restrictions are lifted in England.

The move takes Star Pubs investment in rent reductions to over £30m since March, in October the company announced a “three-tier rent approach”, which increased  rent concessions for its leased and tenanted pubs in England aligned to the government’s tier system of Covid restrictions.

Lawson Mountstevens, Star Pubs and Bars managing director, said: “This second lockdown is devastating for pubs throughout England and the On-Trade as a whole.  

“It is also extremely frustrating given the time and money spent making pubs safe, and the corresponding very low levels of infection currently linked to pubs.”

He added: “From the outset of this crisis we have said that we will continue to review our support in line with the changing regulatory landscape, and hope the actions we’re taking today allows for some surety in these very uncertain times.

“Clearly we all hope that pubs will reopen on 2 December as the run-up to Christmas is such a critical trading period for the industry.”