The 60-Page Minefield
You’ve received a new lease proposal or a rent review memorandum. It is 60 pages long. It is written in dense legal archaic English that hasn’t changed since the 1950s.
Somewhere in that stack of paper is a sentence that says: “The Tenant shall put and keep the premises in good and substantial repair.”
It sounds harmless. It isn’t. That “Put and Keep” clause means even if the roof was leaking before you moved in, you now have to pay to fix it. You just accepted liability for a £40,000 structural repair.
You know you should get a solicitor to check it. But you also know a specialist pub solicitor charges £300-£450 per hour. A full lease report will take them 4-5 hours. That’s a £1,500 bill just to be told “Don’t sign this.”
So you gamble. You skim-read it. You sign it. And you pray nothing breaks.
The Clause Decoder
Translate “Solicitor” into “Pub Landlord”
Trap Detected
No Obvious Keywords Found
This snippet looks okay, but context is everything. The trap might be in the definition of “Premises” or “Insurance”.
[Inference] This is a demo tool. Always consult a qualified advisor.
Planning your menu? Check the Sunday Roast Forecaster.
The Fix: 3 Ways to Spot the Traps
1. The “Fine Tooth Comb” (Manual)
You sit down with a highlighter and the RICS guidance notes. You read every line.
- Risk: You are not a lawyer. You will miss the nuance of “keep in repair” vs “keep in substantial repair.” One word changes your liability by thousands.
2. The “Legal Retainer” (Traditional)
You pay the £1,500.
- Pros: You get professional indemnity insurance if they miss something.
- Cons: It destroys your cash flow. If you are negotiating back and forth, you might need 3 or 4 reviews. That’s £6,000.
3. The “Trap Detector” (AI-Powered)
You use Pubs Code Guardian. You simply upload the PDF of the lease or rent proposal. The AI scans the document in seconds, cross-referencing it against the Pubs Code Regulations 2016 and common unfair clauses.
- Result: It highlights the dangerous clauses in red and explains why they are dangerous in plain English.
The Winner: Pubs Code Guardian
The Trap Detector feature inside Pubs Code Guardian is designed specifically for this moment.
It doesn’t just read words; it looks for intent.
- Upward-Only Rent Reviews: It flags if the PubCo has removed your right to a rent decrease.
- Tie Obligations: It spots if the “Stocking Requirement” breaches the 2022 Amendments regarding craft beer guests.
- Repair Liabilities: It instantly identifies “Put and Keep” vs “Schedule of Condition” clauses.
The Math: The Cost of a Word
- Scenario: A hidden “Put and Keep” clause for a slate roof.
- Repair Cost: £25,000.
- Solicitor Cost to Find it: £1,500.
- Pubs Code Guardian Cost: £29.
The Saving: Even if you eventually hire a solicitor to fight the clause, using the AI first allows you to spot the issue instantly without paying for the initial discovery hours. You go to your lawyer saying, “Page 14, Clause 3.2 is unfair. Draft a letter striking it out.” You cut the lawyer’s billable time by 80%.
ROI: Save £1,471 on legal fees immediately.
Free Tool: The “Clause decoder”
(Developer Note: A text box where the user pastes a confusing legal sentence, and the tool translates it into “Pub Landlord English”.)
Don’t sign your bankruptcy note.