The fierce debate between Picturehouse Cinemas, owned by Cineworld on the flagship Trocadero Site in central London, and its landlord, is expected to continue.
Last Friday (May 23), Picturehouse ruled against Landlord London Trocadero LLP on overcharging the committee on insurance rents at Picturehouse Central.
However, I will be contacted screenLondon Trocadero LLP, part of the corporate standard group, confirmed it would appeal to the ruling.
“We respect the judge’s decisions we learn, but we don’t agree. In fact, we’re surprised to find out that the ‘premium’ for so many people in the industry are insured doesn’t include some of the brokerage companies that insurance brokers legally share with their landlord’s clients. “Mr. West End.”
Picturehouse cinemas declined to comment on the court’s ruling.
Trocadero landlords are obligated to secure insurance for the entire centre and to curb costs from various tenants.
Picturehouse Central is a seven-screen venue located in the center with a total internal floor area of 62,000 square feet. In the court, Picturehouse raised safety concerns and argued that the landlord could not maintain a central sprinkler system that would have been effective in the event of a fire. This meant that premiums had risen.
According to the ruling, Criterion Group includes real estate ownership companies with a real estate portfolio of over £4 billion.
Last week’s decision follows from a previous lawsuit against London Trocadero to house Picture House. After Covid, the landlord took legal action against Picturehouse on non-payment of late rent on a charge of around £2.9 million.
The film operators had argued that cinemas were forced to approach the pandemic, but that they should not be liable for the period of time they lost the incident.
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The Criterion Group has recently appeared in the Logger Heads, with other film tenants, Prince Charles Cinema, off the coast of Leicester Square, being a venue known for its cult and indie programming.
Upon the end of the existing lease in September 2025, over 164,000 signatures were collected to protest the attempts of landlord Zedwell LSQ Ltd (a subsidiary of Criterion Capital) to “bury” Prince Charles from the building.
Earlier this month, Westminster Council recognized Prince Charles Film as an asset of community values and “an important part of the cultural landscape.”
It remains to be seen whether the identification as a community value site will help the film secure long-term leases at an affordable price.
Nevertheless, last week’s insurance ruling for Trocadero is considered important.
“The landlord is avoiding a massive surcharge. It applies to the real estate industry and is not inherent to the film,” commented exhibition veteran John Sullivan.
“This is not the first dispute to reach trial between these parties, and is almost certainly not the last one. However, this decision holds the potential for widespread consequences for landlords and tenants, allowing the floodgates to be opened for similar claims.”
“Paying fees to insure is not uncommon, but the level of the committee in this case may be, along with the court’s finding of the degree of landlord control.”
It is still unknown whether Picturehouse and London Trocadero can resolve the difference. Other judicial proceedings between the two parties are also underway regarding the status of the image house lease at Trocadero.
“It’s pretty unusual for landlords and tenants to file so many lawsuits in a short period of time. Is there a chance that Picture House will be able to stay? Obviously it must be a profitable site.
Real estate experts also warned that last week’s decision may not be for the tenant’s long-term benefits.
“If you think about it, if the landlord receives a committee to insure, they have an advantageous interest in spending time doing it because they might look at the market, test the market, get the best insurance, get some money back to do it.
“If the landlord doesn’t get that committee, then they just spend too much time thinking about it? That could be a loss to the tenants,” Perrin said.
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