Punch lessees Helen and Austin Gill have seen two rent reduc

The couple have run the Queen's in Baildon, Bradford, for five years. They bought the last 18 months of a lease for £12,500 which also covered the cost of its fixtures and fittings. Punch spent £80,000 on a refurbishment four years ago, confident that the pub could take £4,000-a-week. The rent was set at £33,000 and the couple switched to a 10-year Punch Growth Lease. The pub averaged around £3,300-a-week but in the past year, takings have dropped to around £2,000-a-week after the closure of two factories, a printing firm and a textile factory, on their doorstep. The pub's lease, on the market for a year at £45,000, has attracted little interest.

Eight months ago, Punch agreed a new seven-year lease on a reduced rent of £22,500. Last week, Punch agreed a further rent reduction to £15,300. Helen Gill said: 'We have debts of around £20,000 and haven't had a holiday for five years. Punch has told us they will accept the surrender of the lease if we sell the pub for the price of the fixtures and fittings only, but will have to stay here until the pub's sold.' It appears the demographics in this part of West Yorkshire make trading successfully difficult. 'Within a five-mile radius of here I know of eight Punch pubs where licensees have gone belly-up,' said Helen.

Do you have a rent-based story? Is your pubco increasing or decreasing your rent? Ring The PMA Team on 01293 610344.