Business owners with shops, offices or industrial units could
possibly be earning an additional income by utilising their unused
land or property for the installation of telecoms equipment.
The advice comes from Tom Evans of Fisher German, who acts for a
wide range of clients with telecoms equipment on their land. He has
vast experience in the industry and believes that many landlords
could be benefitting from the additional rental income.
Tom comments "Telecoms masts are an excellent form of
diversification. A single mast being used by a single operator will
pay a landlord in the region of £4,000 - £5,000 per
annum with a typical lease period of a mast being 10-20 years .
"There is no capital outlay in telecoms lettings as the operator
pays for the installation of the equipment and contributes towards
the landlord's associated professional and legal fees and the
drafting of legal documentation.
"It is a very efficient way to use any underutilised areas. As
only 50m2 of land is required for a single mast, they can be placed
on small areas such as a roof top, service yard or the peripheries
of a car park."
Some landlords worry about the visual impact that a telecoms
mast will have on their business, however Tom believes that there
are ways around this. "Modern telecoms masts can be disguised to
blend in with their surroundings. We have dealt with a number of
clients who have had masts on their land disguised as trees,
telegraph poles and even flag poles."
If a landlord or manager of a business would like their site to
be considered for a telecoms mast installation, Fisher German
promote land and buildings through their telecom site database
which is regularly sent to telecom companies and their agents,
allowing the mobile networks to see if a site is suitable.
Many shops, offices and other businesses have already
diversified and had telecoms equipment installed, but these
landlords must be vigilant to operators who may try and alter
equipment and drive down the rent that they pay. Landlords should
seek professional advice from telecoms surveyors who can inform
them if they are receiving fair market rent levels and can
negotiate on their behalf if they are not.
Fisher German recently secured a lease renewal for a commercial
property in the Midlands achieving a 25% increase on the previous
rent and negotiated out the operators' termination rights for the
first three years of the term.
It is imperative that the correct advice is sought regarding
telecoms installations, whether they are newly constructed or an
existing mast on the land.
For further information about having your site course considered
for a telecoms mast or if you already have telecoms equipment,
please contact Tom Evans on 01858 411255 or email
thomas.evans@fishergerman.co.uk
For more information about Fisher German, please visit their
website here: www.fishergerman.co.uk