Abstract
This article analyzes a case to illustrate the legal risk of a sublease contract. If the lessee breaches the leasing contract, the lessor shall dissolve the contract because of the lessee’s overdue rent. The sub-lessee can’t continue leasing until he pays off the overdue rents in full and liquidated damages the lessee should pay. Otherwise, the lessor shall terminate the contract, take back the shop (or house), and shall not compensate for the sub-lessee's decoration and other expenses. The sub-lessee may bear the burden of inauguration somewhere else and seek recovery from the lessee simultaneously.
The lessor A (hereinafter referred to as A) rented a shop to the lessee B (hereinafter referred to as B) with a low rent price of 10,000 yuan per month (the market price was 30,000 yuan per month). Their agreement was: If B failed to pay rent over 30 days, liquidated damages shall be paid and A would terminate the leasing contract without compensating the expenses of the ornamentation and decoration. Three days later, A subleased the shop to a third party, namely sub-lessee (hereinafter refers to C) with the consent of A of 20,000 yuan per month. Afterwards, C spent 130,000 yuan to decorate the shop for his restaurant inauguration and paid B rent every month on time.
Unexpectedly, a month later, B delayed to pay A with the rent over 30 days.So, A issued a lawyer’s letter to B calling for the overdue rent of 10,000 yuan and liquidated damages 1,000 yuan, totally 11,000 yuan. Then A asked C whether he would like to pay 11,000 yuan on behalf of B and re-sign a leasing contract with the market price of 30,000 yuan per month. But C was not willing to pay the bill on behalf of B absolutely, so he rejected. A immediately terminated the contract, removed the decoration of the shop and leased it to someone else.
C then filed a lawsuit to the court, requiring A to compensate for the decoration cost of 130,000 yuan, and continuing to perform the original contract.
Soon, the court made a verdict: C’s claim is rejected.
C felt sad and consulted a lawyer called Mr. Flag.
Mr. Flag read the verdict and explained:
1
A could not continue to perform the original leasing contract with the rent of 20,000 yuan per month.
According to Contract Law of the People's Republic of China Article 227“Where the lessee, without a legitimate reason, does not pay rent or is late in making a rent payment, the lessor may demand that the lessee make the relevant payment within a reasonable period of time. If at the conclusion of the said time period the lessee has not made the payment, the lessor may dissolve the contract”.
A terminated the contract because B delayed in making the payment of rent. The contract between A and B is the basis of the contract between B and C. When the basis is gone, the contract between B and C is terminated automatically. Actually, A re-rented to a third party, which means C’s request of continuing leasing could not be fulfilled.
2
C should pay off the payment of breaching of contract on behalf of B, which can defense against A’s right to terminate the contract.
According to Interpretation of the Supreme People's Court on Several Issues Concerning Specific Application of Law in the Trial of Cases on Disputes over Contracts for Lease of Urban Houses Article 17 “Where the lessor requests terminating the contract because the lessee delays in making the payment of rent, if the sub-lessee requests paying the rent overdue and liquidated damages on behalf of the lessee in defense against the right of the lessor to terminate the contract, the people's court shall uphold such request, except in case of invalid sublease contract.”
Therefore, C should pay off 11,000 yuan on behalf of B, and re-negotiate rent with A. Of course, C will recover from B the same amount of money he paid for him at last.
3
A does not need to compensate the value of the decoration worthy 130,000 yuan.
According to Article 11 of Interpretation of the Supreme People's Court on Several Issues concerning the Application of Law in the Trial of Cases about Disputes Over Lease Contracts on Urban Buildings, if the contract is rescinded due to the lessee’s default, the lessee’s request against the lessor for compensation for the residue value loss of the decorations or furnishings for the rest of the lease term shall be rejected.
In this case, if the contract is rescinded due to B’ s default, A shall not compensate for the costs of decorations or furnishings. C shall recover his claims from B (if the contract between B and C involved this).
The risk is: in case of lessee’s breach of contract, you would pay the rents of him and liquidated damages. Besides, the lessor may ask you to sign a new contract in a higher price, if not, the lessor tend to resume the store or apartment. In this case, you would search for a new spot and run risks of losing upfront costs (such as decorations and advertisements) and lodging a claim for loss.
Mr.Flag said: if you consult me at first, you will not get into trouble like this. In fact, you can pay off debts on behalf of B after the assessment of the current investment and the expected benefits. If the pay-off is equivalent to the costs of finding a new spot, decorations and advertisement, you can make the pay-off and negotiate with A to reach a more reasonable price in a new contract. Besides, you should ask a lawyer to recover the pay-off from B.
Mr.Flag’s suggestions:
Chinese law is inclined to protect the lessor.When it comes to renting shops or apartments, some advices followed:
1
sign the leasing contract with the owner.
2
when you are negotiating a contract with a lessee, you need to look for the contract between the lessee and the owner, in order to make a clause to protect your rights in case of the breach of lessee (such as the default clause, and the reasonability of the clause).
3
sign a contract with a wealthy lessee. If you get involved in the disputes between the lessee and the owner, the lessee can compensate for your damages.
In fact,
asking a lawyer for advice first
is your best choice.
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租“二房東”的鋪（房），有風險？
摘要：
本文通過案例說明一個轉租商鋪合同的法律風險。若承租人違反與出租人的租賃合同約定，逾期支付租金導緻出租人解除合同的，次承租人應代承租人全額支付所有的拖欠租金和違約金等費用後，才能繼續租賃。否則，出租人可解除合同、收回商鋪，且不賠償次承租人的裝修等費用。次承租人将面臨另行租鋪開張，同時向承租人追償損失的麻煩後果。
A将商鋪低于市場價出租給好朋友B開餐廳，租金1萬元/月，（市場價為3萬元/月）。約定：若B拖欠租金30日的，B需支付違約金。A同時可以收回商鋪且不賠償B的裝修費用。3天後，B将該商鋪轉租給C，租金2萬元/月。A同意轉租，C也知曉A。C花了13萬元裝修開張，并每月按時向B交租。
不料一個月後，B拖欠租金。
A向B發出律師函催繳租金及違約金，同時向C發函詢問，C是否願意代B清償拖欠的租金1萬元及違約金1000元（共1.1萬元），與A以市場價3萬元/月重新簽合同。C當然不願代B支付違約費用啦！C拒絕了A的請求。3日後，A收回商鋪并拆除裝修，另行出租了。
C立馬向法院提起訴訟，要求A賠償裝修費13萬，并以原租金2萬元/月的标準繼續履行合同。
法院很快有了判決結果，居然是：駁回C的訴訟請求。
C敗訴了！
C覺得冤枉啊，找到Flag（福來閣）律師請教。
Flag（福來閣）律師看完判決書，耐心的給C作了解答：
1、A不可能與C繼續履行租金為2萬元/月的租賃合同。
依據《中華人民共和國合同法》第二百二十七條“承租人無正當理由未支付或者遲延支付租金的，出租人可以要求承租人在合理期限内支付。承租人逾期不支付的，出租人可以解除合同”的規定，因B拖欠租金，使得A合法解除了與B的合同。AB合同是BC合同的基礎，當基礎喪失，意味着BC合同自行終止。是以法院不可能讓A去履行一份失去法律基礎的BC原合同。同時，A已經将商鋪收回并重新出租，事實上A與C也履行不能了。
2、C需代B清償違約費用，才能抗辯A的解除權。
C如果想繼續租下去，阻止A去解除與B的合同，依據《最高人民法院關于審理城鎮房屋租賃合同糾紛案件具體應用法律若幹問題的解釋》第十七條“因承租人拖欠租金，出租人請求解除合同時，次承租人請求代承租人支付欠付的租金和違約金以抗辯出租人合同解除權的，人民法院應予支援”的規定，須先代B清償其拖欠的費用共1.1萬元，然後與A重新協商租金的。當然，C代B支付1.1萬元後是可以向B再行追償的。
3、A無需賠償C的裝修費用損失。
根據《最高人民法院關于審理城鎮房屋租賃合同糾紛案件具體應用法律若幹問題的解釋》第十一條的規定，因承租人違約導緻合同解除，承租人請求出租人賠償剩餘租賃期内裝飾裝修殘值損失的，不予支援”的規定，A與B合同明确約定，若B違約導緻合同解除，A收回商鋪時是不賠裝修費用的。當然，C的裝修損失同樣也可向B追償（如果BC合同中有這樣的約定）。
風險在于：如果“二房東”違約，則您可能需先替“二房東”支付拖欠租金和違約費用，重新按照“大房東”要求的高租金簽協定，否則會面臨“大房東”收回商鋪（或房），!您需重新找地經營，同時損失前期投入（裝修費、廣告費等），還要再去向“二房東”追回損失等等麻煩事。
Flag（福來閣）律師笑着說：您要是早來咨詢律師，就沒有那麼被動了。其實您可以根據店鋪目前的投入和日後發展的收益預期，綜合考慮是否代B清償債務。如果自己重新找鋪、裝修、打廣告的成本與清償費用持平，是可以與先代為清償，同時與A協商一個稍微合理的租金标準，重新簽訂合同。另外，馬上聘請律師将您代付的所有費用向B追償回來呢！
Flag福來閣律師建議：中國目前的立法傾向于保護出租方。
如果您租鋪（或房）的，需注意：
1、 盡量與“大房東”（即：房屋所有權人）簽訂租賃合同；
2、 如果必須要與“二房東”（即：轉租人）承租的，需提前詳細了解“二房東”與“大房東”的協定内容（例如：二房東的違約情形有哪些？違約責任是否公平？），來設計自己與“二房東”權利義務的制衡條款，以確定“二房東”違約時，自己不會被連累。
3、 盡量與有經濟實力的“二房東”簽約，避免自己不幸被連累時，有能力的“二房東”還能賠付。
當然，最好是先咨詢律師意見啦！