Pandemic and commercial lease agreements
Pandemic and commercial lease agreements
Abstract: The restrictions on economic activities caused by the Covid-19 virus have produced indirect effects on long term contracts, and particularly on commercial lease agreements. The balance of reciprocal contractual performances agreed upon by the parties at the time of contract conclusion has been disturbed; performance has become burdensome to tenant. In order to solve this problem, scholars (and judges) have invoked temporary impossibility or hardship. The best solution suggested is temporary hardship. Performance has become temporarily excessively onerous to tenants, as a result of a supervening exceptional event which was unforeseeable. If the parties do not want contract termination, they need to enter into negotiations with the aim of adjusting the terms of the contract to a new temporary agreement with lower rent. However, it is desirable for the legislator to temporarily reduce rents.
Summary: 1. La pandemia, e le norme collegate. – 2. Il quadro delle norme del codice civile sulle sopravvenienze. – 3. Effetti indiretti della pandemia e delle norme collegate sui contratti pendenti di durata, in special modo sui contratti di locazione commerciale. Proposte di soluzione dei problemi riscontrati; in particolare, impossibilità sopravvenuta della prestazione del locatore. Critiche. – 4. Impossibilità di utilizzo della controprestazione. Presupposizione. Causa concreta. Critiche. – 5. Impossibilità della prestazione pecuniaria del debitore-conduttore. Critiche. – 6. Inesigibilità della prestazione pecuniaria del debitore-conduttore. Critiche. – 7. Eccessiva onerosità sopravvenuta. – 8. La rinegoziazione volontaria. La rinegoziazione obbligatoria: critiche. L’auspicato intervento legislativo di riduzione temporanea del canone. – 9. Conclusioni.
Keywords: Covid-19 virus — Commercial lease agreement — Impossibility — Temporary impossibility — Hardship — Temporary hardship.
