FAQs

This method of application will ensure your enquiry is sent directly to the pub owner in the fastest way possible. Critically, an online application will provide you with an immediate indication on whether your enquiry meets the application criteria set out by that company. Most importantly your details are passed directly to the decision makers. The online application process will provide you with a personalised FindMyPub.com profile, which once set up, means you can apply for more pubs without having to input further details! Apply for a pub online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please see our tips on filling out your application.

Our live chat feature is available 5 days a week. If you have a quick question, need some assistance navigating the website or just want to check some further info then clicking on this feature will give you an immediate platform to speak to one of our knowledgeable pub advisors. We can even help you apply via live chat. Click on the Live chat bubble to start your experience today!

Your online account offers you many benefits ensuring that your information is kept as up to date as possible. All your information once input is saved, affording you considerable time savings when applying for more pubs. What’s more, you will be able to sign up for property alerts, so you are notified when a pub that meets your requirements gets listed! We don’t want you to miss the perfect pub for you, so sign up for an account today and start enjoying the multitude of benefits it provides.

Our industry first, individually tailored; pub matching solution takes the search out of finding the perfect pub for you presenting you with only those pubs that match your requirements. You can access MyPubMatch by registering an account with us and then selecting on the MyPubMatch areas the specific search criteria that is unique to you. Then… every time a new pub is added that meets your specific search criteria, we will notify you directly by email!

A Lease is the right to occupy a property for a fixed term of years subject to many conditions and in return for the payment of rent. Most leases are assignable, which means they can be sold in the open market, subject to the purchaser being approved by the Landlord. You can find out more about leases here.

A Tenancy is a short-term agreement (initially 3-5 years), often with the tenant having the right to continue as tenant from year to year. The only value in a Tenancy is the fixtures and fittings with all profits being the tenants. To read more about this agreement visit our article “What is a tenancy agreement?”.

A Self-Employed Management agreement is ideal if you are looking to run your own pub business for a small ingoing fee. Generally, you will not pay either rent or the majority of the utility bills. Your stock, fixtures & fittings and till systems will be provided and your income is based on a percentage (variable depending on the pub and the offer) of weekly sales so the more you grow the business, the more you will earn. Does this sound like the agreement for you? Find out more here.

Personal licences allow you to sell alcohol on behalf of any business that has a premises licence or a club premises certificate. The personal licence is designed to ensure that anybody running or managing a business that sells or supplies alcohol will do so in a professional fashion. Once you receive your personal licence, you can act as the designated premises supervisor for any business that sells or supplies alcohol. In order to apply, you must be aged 18 years or over. If you are applying for a personal licence, you must obtain an accredited qualification first. The aim of the qualification is to ensure that licence holders are aware of licensing law and the wider social responsibilities involved in the sale of alcohol.

These are short-term agreements which can be terminated at short notice and are often used to enable you to move into the pub and start operating the business while a longer-term agreement is being finalised. Companies should make it clear to you that you are taking on a temporary agreement only and as such you are not covered by any of the codes of practice or by the Landlord and Tenant Act. Temporary tenancies cannot be assigned nor can sub-letting take place. These agreements are a maximum of a year long. The BII offer some great advice on these short-term agreements here.

For your Personal Licence, you will need to complete the APLH qualification. This course can be completed in one day at a designated course centre or completed online. Once you have completed the training modules you will sit a multiple-choice exam of 40 questions. At least 28 of the 40 questions must be answered correctly. You must complete the exam within a set time frame. Course costs starts from £135+ VAT, however we have managed to get a discounted rate from our preferred supplier exclusive for our Web users! Read more about this qualification and book your discounted course here.

Once you have completed the APLH course successfully and obtained your certificate, you must then formally apply for your Personal Licence (you cannot apply before completing the Licensing Qualification). The cost for this is between £35 and £45. Once you receive your Personal Licence, you can act as the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) for any business that sells or supplies alcohol. You will also be required to undertake a DBS check. You can however select a service which includes the administration of all the above. Visit our training page for more info.

When all of these are in place, you will then be the person responsible for authorising staff to sell alcohol to the public. Don’t underestimate the level of responsibility for this authorization!

The APLH is now available to complete in full online.

Online training is flexible, efficient and cost-effective, allowing you to progress through the modules at your own pace, in your own time.

You can complete the course, online exam and the personal application service for £125. Click here to get the ball rolling today!

Pre-Entry Awareness Training (PEAT) is an e-learning course that was designed for prospective tenants/lessees who are considering signing a pub tenancy or lease agreement in England & Wales. It covers the main issues which need to be considered before signing a pub tenancy or lease agreement.

If you are considering entering into a pub lease or tenancy agreement in England and Wales, taking PEAT will give you the knowledge you need to evaluate the agreement you are considering. This qualification is mandatory if you are taking a tenancy or lease with any pub company that has more than 500 pubs, but if you are new or returning to the trade it is hugely valuable. Find out more here.

In the United Kingdom, a tied house is a public house that is required to buy at least some of its beer from a particular brewery or pub company. You can be fully tied, partially tied or in some cases free of tie. This depends on the agreement that you take, the pub company that owns the pub and the deal that you negotiate with the pub owner. Most leases are granted by Pub Co’s subject to a tie, whereby the lessee (tenant) is obliged to purchase a specified range of products (usually all of its beers and lagers) from the lessor/landlord or its nominated supplier.

Broadly speaking the ingoing costs for a pub consist of a deposit, stock, glassware and sometimes the working capital you need to float the tills, buy additional stock and pay staff. With some breweries the cost of fixtures and fittings can be paid separately depending on the deal and agreement, on some deals this is included in the ingoing figures. Rent is separate from this and is payable monthly.

Generally, a fixture is understood to be any item that is bolted to the floor or walls, and a fitting to be any item that is free standing or hung by a nail or hook. Depending on your agreement you may be required to purchase or rent these. How you do this can be discussed with the Business Development Manager in your initial negotiations.

Unfortunately, this is a little bit like asking how long is a piece of string? There are many variables involved in the process of securing an agreement to take on a pub. This can mean the process can seem long and drawn out. Our advice here at FindMyPub.com is to make sure you keep the lines of communication open with ourselves, area managers or your contacts to ensure you do not miss out on any opportunities or developments.

In the majority of cases, pubs have some space that can be classed as private accommodation however this is not a hard and fast rule. How much space there is, and the standard of décor can vary wildly, some breweries and pub companies will help ensure this is up to modern expectations, but this is not always the case. This accommodation cannot be sublet to provide income.

The short answer is no. The pubs we are advertising are available on either tenancy, lease or self–employed management agreements, this means they are to continue trading as public houses. Our sister site SellMyPub.com has a number of properties that are for sale and, subject the correct planning permissions, a change of use may be possible.

The code came into force on 21st July 2016 and applies to all businesses owning 500 or more tied pubs in England and Wales. It governs their relationships with tied pubs but not with their managed houses or free-of-tie pub tenants.

The two principles of the code are:

• fair and lawful dealing by pub owning businesses in relation to their tied tenants
• tied pub tenants should be no worse off than if they were not subject to any tie

The code makes sure that tied pub tenants:

• receive the information they need to make informed decisions about taking on a pub or new terms and conditions
• have their rent reassessed if they haven’t had a review for 5 years
• can request a market rent only option to go free of tie and pay only a market rent in specific circumstances, including at a rent review or renewal of tenancy

Find out more about the code on the government website.