First rent arbitration cases due to be heard

The first cases involving a rent arbitration scheme for the industry are likely to be settled in court next month.

Speaking at the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) Key Issues Forum in Manchester yesterday, Martin Rawlings, BBPA director of pub and leisure, said many rent disputes between landlord and tenants have been settled without going to court.

The Pub Independent Rent Review Scheme (PIRRS) was set up following criticisms in the MP-led report into pubcos last year.

Rawlings said: "PIRRS has been running since October and to date there have been 36 referrals to the scheme of which only two have gone through the scheme and the rest have been settled out of court.

"The first result should be out towards the end of April. The fact that there have been so few cases demonstrates the level of the problem itself isn't huge."

Rawlings was speaking to BBPA members about the industry framework code of practice, which pubcos have to comply with by July.

He said that brewer and pubco Batemans was likely to be the first to have its code accredited by the BII.

The BBPA has also been investigating if members take direct debits direct from licensees without their knowledge, Rawlings said, after the issue was raised by Fair Pint in BIS committee sessions last year.

Rawlings said: "If members do take on direct debit it is on guarantee with the licensee."

Earlier at the same event the Federation of Licensed Victuallers Association operations director Martin Caffrey said he would love the organisation, which is primarily northern based, to expand across the country.

He said: "We are talking about how we could do this but is has to be done slowly, finances are an issue but we would like to become national in some format."