Forum Topic

Three Cheers for The Italians squatters

My sadness and anger at the loss of the Italians last year has now been mitigated by squatters taking over the empty unit. When will landlords learn that the hospitality business is tough and if a busy and popular business is your tenant is struggling to pay the existing rent then it is probably because the rent is too high.It looks like someone has convinced the landlord that there was more money to be made by getting in a new tenant but with no rent for seven months and now the extra cost of booting out the squatters, hopefully a lesson has been learned.

Anita Blake ● 3d15 Comments

I'm guessing, David, you weren't party to the discussions either. But Anita makes very pertinent points. I say that with perspective which I'm guessing very few here have.I do so wish people walked a mile in someone else's shoes before posting comments (ok, criticisms) without benefit of knowledge nor experience. If you think it's so easy to run a business, particularly a hospitality business, give it a go and let us all know how you get on. As if moving things about is a sign of anything other than moving things about.

David Lesniak ● 18h

Whoever has legitimate rights to the property needs to initiate the appropriate legal action as soon as possible after they became aware of the squatting. Even then it's a drawn out process, but better than doing nothing, or waiting for the place to go up in flames from the hot-wired electricity supply.

Peter Evans ● 1d

From the article it is clear that the lease is still in existence so the Italians will still be responsible for the rent and other outgoings.They are actually seeking a premium from anyone wishing to take over their lease so they clearly think the rent isn't too expensive for other users. Before you applaud squatters you might want to rethink because it is the Italians who will have to get rid of them and incur the costs of doing so. I am sure they will be delighted that you are encouraging squatters

david ward ● 1d

funny how the higher rents don't seem to affect dodgy business , cash only. barber shops, nail salons, vape and candy shops...

Isabel Martin ● 1d

The other branches of The Italians still seem to be functioning in Marylebone and Charlotte Street, so maybe they found their Chiswick outpost increasingly surplus to requirements. I have to say that, towards the end, their numerous internal re-arrangements of counters and tables made the place less inviting/relaxing and suggested there might be some underlying problem.

Peter Evans ● 1d

I am actually bashing the landlord. The lease on The Italians premises was advertised at a higher rent when the business was still operating, so it is a reasonable conclusion that increased rent was a factor in the closure.Over the past few years business conditions have got much more  difficult in the hospitality industry with rising NICs and the increased minimum wage, this has compounded earlier blows such as the end of freedom of movement which made staffing a business like this much more difficult.If you know something about the circumstances that we don't, please share but from the outside this looks like a failed attempt to squeeze more out of the asset which has ended up making us all poorer.The analogy you are looking for is not squatters moving into my home but squatters moving into a home that I used to live in but had to move out because the landlord put the rent up.  I am not going to spare much thought for the troubles of the landlord.

Anita Blake ● 1d

"Three cheers" that a landlord has had their property taken over (and is likely to be trashed) because Anita has decreed the rent was too high? Hardly a balanced or caring post is it, Georgina? Many of these premises are owned by normal families who pay taxes and have bills like the rest of us. Suggesting they're all greedy capitalists is lazy and often wrong.

Mike Smith ● 1d

That sounds like pure speculation and you've taken an opportunity to have a go at property owners. Were you party to the discussions between the freeholder and leaseholder ? Of course you weren't

david ward ● 1d

Anita was hardly LL bashing.

Georgina Flint ● 2d

You'll be welcoming said squatters once they've left the place in a filthy mess, Anita? Landlord bashing is lazy at best, and you don't know their circumstances.

Mike Smith ● 2d

ok I see it on the front page now. Half the time the news on the front page don't load for me. I hope that get kicked out soon . They must have gone around the back. maybe they are growing cannabis

Isabel Martin ● 3d

Squatters tend to say they 'found a door/window open' (Hmm!) as I think actually breaking and entering still remains a criminal offence, while being in there, in the case of commercial premises, might not.

Peter Evans ● 3d

See the story on the front page. It doesn't look like anybody has seen them - there is just a notice on the door. I wouldn't speculate on how they got in other than to say the landlord should have invested in better security.

Anita Blake ● 3d

please could you elaborate a bit more? have you seen them? how did they get in?

Isabel Martin ● 3d

This isn't a residential space, so 'squatters' will find it difficult and messy to live there.And even if they choose to live there, why do they have to make such mess of the outside?And what about the residential flats above who'll now have to put up with who knows what going on downstairs? And if these squatters are being so know-it-all about the legal position, maybe someone will have to send the boys round to sort things out! Or wait for the place to go up in flames?!It's not an easy time for Italian restaurants, as I see the age-old Spaghetti House chain has just gone bust and closed down.

Peter Evans ● 3d