Reform UK Compensates Landlord £4,000 Following Tenancy Dispute

A landlord reported incurring a bill amounting to thousands of pounds and finding her office painted in light blue political colours, stemming from a tenancy disagreement with Reform UK. Tamsin May’s property, located in Clacton, was occupied by Reform UK in June, prior to leader Nigel Farage’s electoral success in the Essex constituency. Mrs May had anticipated finalizing a five-year lease agreement; however, the party vacated the premises in August. She stated that refuse was abandoned and the keys were not given back. Reform UK, characterizing the situation as regrettable, confirmed it has now reimbursed Mrs May the “just over £4,000” she expended for the drafting of the contract. George Riley Estates Ltd, established in Clacton in 1954 and currently operating from Northamptonshire, facilitated the political party’s occupancy of its office space on 7 June under a licence, which is a more adaptable contractual arrangement. The terms of the licence stipulated that the tenant was required to maintain the building in a “clean and tidy condition,” “not commit any waste,” and implement “no alterations to the fabric.” Mrs May, who regained possession of the property on 15 August, stated: “They painted the door and bar in ‘Reform blue’ and put stud walls and a door in.” She further added: “We also had to pay for the locks to be changed and call in removal people to clear all of their rubbish and mess, which cost us about £500.” Mrs May also commented: “I’ve even paid for their electricity bill, which I am not happy about, and we had to pay empty business rates of £600 after they left.” Mrs May indicated she spent £4,000 on drafting a more legally binding lease, valued at £18,000 annually, and urged the party to sign it by 28 June. Despite Reform UK having no contractual obligation to sign, Mrs May asserted her belief in the existence of a verbal agreement. “They wanted to move in quickly and we were happy for them to take it in good faith,” Mrs May, who resides in Buckinghamshire, additionally stated. “It started getting closer to the election and they still were not signing, but they said they still wanted the offices.” She further recounted: “After they won… we had no replies or acknowledgement to any of our emails, messages and voicemails.” During Reform UK’s occupancy, approximately £7,500, covering rent and a deposit, was remitted to Mrs May’s company. Following an inquiry from the BBC, Reform UK affirmed it had compensated Mrs May “everything asked for – about £4,000”. A spokesperson for the party commented: “This was a regrettable situation but we have now resolved it with the landlord of the property in full.“These events took place whilst the national party was undergoing a restructure in personnel, and we thank the BBC for bringing it to our attention.” Information regarding Essex news is available on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. This content is copyrighted by BBC 2024, with all rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the material found on external websites. Further details on the BBC’s policy regarding external linking are available.