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Written by Brad Askew
Legal Tech Founder
Civil & Commercial Law background · Founder of LegalDocuments.co.uk
We’re not a law firm — we help you find the right legal support. For advice on your situation, speak to a legal adviser or find a solicitor.
Updated April 2026 · England & Wales
BA
Written by Brad Askew Legal Tech Founder
Civil & Commercial Law background · Founder of LegalDocuments.co.uk
Updated May 2026
·
England & Wales
If you own, lease, or run a business from commercial premises in England or Wales, accessibility is not optional. It sits at the heart of how the law expects buildings and services to work for everyone, including disabled customers, employees, and visitors.
Getting it wrong can lead to complaints, claims in the county court, and real damage to your reputation, all of which tend to cost far more than the adjustments themselves would have done in the first place. This guide walks through the main duties that apply, the building standards that commonly come into play, and the practical steps most commercial occupiers need to think about.
It is written for business owners, landlords, and facilities managers who want a plain-English overview of where they stand before speaking to someone about their specific property.
Overview
Accessibility in a commercial property context covers the physical, sensory, and organisational features that allow disabled people to enter, move through, and use a building on broadly the same terms as everyone else. In practice, this includes things like step-free entrances, lifts, accessible toilets, clear signage, hearing loops, colour contrast on surfaces, and the way staff deliver services to customers who may need extra help.
The duty is shared. Landlords are typically responsible for common parts and the structure of the building, while tenants and occupiers usually handle the interior layout, fit-out, and how they run their day-to-day operations. Where a property is let to multiple businesses, the lease will normally allocate responsibility for specific elements, which is why it pays to read the accessibility-related obligations in a lease carefully before signing.
Importantly, accessibility is not only about wheelchair users. It extends to people with sight or hearing impairments, neurodivergent customers, those with reduced mobility, and anyone with a long-term health condition that affects how they use a space.
Key steps
01
Audit the property honestly. Walk the building from the street inwards and note every point where someone with a mobility, sensory, or cognitive impairment might struggle. This includes the approach, parking, entrance threshold, reception, circulation routes, toilets, and any customer-facing counter. A written record gives you a baseline to work from and helps demonstrate that you have considered the issue properly.
02
Check your legal position under the lease and Equality Act. Work out which duties fall on you as occupier and which sit with the landlord. The duty to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010 applies anticipatorily for service providers, meaning you should think ahead rather than wait for a complaint. Your lease may also contain alterations clauses that affect what changes you can make.
03
Prioritise reasonable adjustments. Not every adjustment has to happen at once. Focus first on changes that remove the biggest barriers, such as a portable ramp where a permanent one is not possible, repositioning a service counter, or improving signage. What counts as reasonable depends on the size of the business, the cost, and the practicality of the change in that particular building.
04
Plan alterations with Part M in mind. If you are fitting out, refurbishing, or extending, the building regulations on access to and use of buildings will usually apply. Early conversations with your architect or contractor about Part M of the building regulations can prevent expensive rework. For listed or older buildings, specialist advice may be needed to balance heritage rules with accessibility.
05
Train staff and review regularly. Physical features only go so far if staff do not know how to support disabled customers. Brief the team on how to assist, how any equipment works, and how to handle requests sensitively. Revisit your accessibility position at least annually, and always when you change the layout, take on new premises, or introduce new services.
Common questions
QDoes the Equality Act 2010 apply to all commercial premises?
The Act applies to service providers, employers, and those managing premises, which covers the vast majority of commercial buildings used by the public or by staff. The specific duties vary depending on whether you are dealing with customers, workers, or tenants, but the underlying principle of not discriminating against disabled people and making reasonable adjustments runs through all of them. Very small or purely private settings may be treated differently.
QWhat does 'reasonable adjustments' actually mean in practice?
A reasonable adjustment is a change that removes or reduces a disadvantage a disabled person would otherwise face. What is reasonable depends on factors such as the cost, how effective the change would be, the resources of the business, and whether it is practical in that building. A small independent shop and a national retailer will not be held to identical standards, but both must give the issue proper thought.
QDo I have to upgrade an older building to modern accessibility standards?
There is no blanket duty to rebuild an older property to current Part M standards. However, the reasonable adjustments duty still applies to how services are delivered from that building, and any significant refurbishment or change of use will usually trigger building regulation requirements for the works being carried out. Heritage constraints on listed buildings are taken into account but do not remove the duty entirely.
QWho pays for accessibility improvements, the landlord or the tenant?
This is driven mainly by the lease. Structural works and common parts usually fall to the landlord, while internal fit-out and day-to-day service delivery fall to the tenant. Some leases contain express provisions on compliance with equality legislation. If your lease is silent or unclear, a conversation before carrying out works is sensible, because unauthorised alterations can breach the lease.
QWhat happens if someone brings a disability discrimination claim?
Claims under the Equality Act are generally brought in the county court for services and premises, or in the employment tribunal for workplace issues. Remedies can include compensation for injury to feelings, financial loss, and orders to take specific steps. Even where a claim does not succeed, the cost of defending one and the reputational impact tend to be significant, which is why prevention is the better strategy.
QAre accessible toilets a legal requirement for every business?
Where toilets are provided for customers or staff, building regulations and the reasonable adjustments duty both point towards suitable accessible facilities in most settings. The exact requirement depends on the size of the premises, the number of users, and when the building was last altered. Very small premises may not be expected to install full facilities, but should still think about how to accommodate disabled visitors.
QHow often should I review accessibility in my premises?
A yearly review is a sensible baseline, alongside a fresh look whenever you refurbish, change layout, take on new space, or receive feedback from a disabled customer or employee. Keeping a short written record of what you have considered and what you have done helps demonstrate that you are taking the anticipatory duty seriously rather than only reacting when a problem arises.
BA
Brad Askew Legal Tech Founder
Brad has a background in civil and commercial law and founded LegalDocuments.co.uk to make clear, reliable legal information accessible to everyone. This site is not a law firm and does not provide regulated legal advice.
Legal disclaimer
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. We are not solicitors. For advice on your specific situation, please consult a qualified solicitor.
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