Dee Clair, of PainSmith Solicitors, advises an assignee who is concerned about the security of his tenancy during the Olympics.

Q. How can I avoid having my agreement terminated to make way for an alternative let to Olympics visitors?

A. It may be too late now; it really depends on what stage you are in with your tenancy. You should look closely at the break clauses and activate the options to renew in good time. The conditions of the break clauses and the renewal options should be adhered to. Specifically, we often see options to renew where the clause states that any option to renew should be served by the tenant, addressed to the landlord, and sent to the landlord's agent. This means that if a notice is sent by a relocation agent on behalf of the tenant to the landlord at the landlord's address, this is invalid, because the conditions have not been adhered to.

The Olympics is providing unique challenges for corporate customers seeking accommodation of various kinds this summer. David Brady, Olympics project lead at Pricoa Relocation, considers the longer-term prospects for London's rental market, and describes how his company is working with clients to come up with creative solutions.

The summer is always the busiest time of year for the property market, with assignees needing homes for the start of the academic year or new opportunities such as graduate training programmes. Add to the mix the increase in tourism, visitors and spectators for the Olympics, and summer 2012 will certainly be an interesting time to move to the UK.

Inspired by Danny Boyle’s comments about choreographing the Olympics opening ceremony, Re:locate asked David Crawford, partner at Fragomen LLP, who relocated from Australia to London in 2009, for his views on the British character.

Living in the UK, I am struck by the friendly informality of people more than clichéd stuffiness. The sellers at local markets, cab drivers, publicans and B&B hosts all share a warmth I have enjoyed equally at business meetings and luncheons.

As an outsider, I don’t pretend to understand all of Britain. I am not sure why there may not be a fully representative football team at the Olympic Games, how such self-effacing people built such a massive Empire, or why ‘everyone’ loves the English countryside but seems to prefer a holiday on a beach. And the Barmy Army (a group of cricket supporters to you and me) defies all understanding.

Living in the UK, you could be forgiven for thinking that all is not well: the Human Rights Act, the financial sector, manufacturing, the economic state of the North, and so on, are trotted out as signs of Britain’s struggle. But Britain remains very strong in many ways. For those looking from the outside, the UK remains a very prominent country in history and a major contributor to our present reality.

Corporate customers seeking accommodation for employees in London and the South East immediately before and after, as well as during, the London 2012 Olympic Games face a range of challenges – and choices. Samantha Cox, of SilverDoor, has some useful tips for those planning to book serviced apartments at what will be an exceptionally busy time.

There’s plenty going on this year – the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, Euro 2012 and a US election – but one event, in particular, is going to dominate the media in the UK – and the lives of most Londoners – over the coming months.

While the Olympics will bring exciting opportunities for London and the rest of the UK, for anyone involved in the business travel industry the next six months are going to be full of deliberations and negotiations. Most of the talk in the press has been about hotel availability – but how will the Olympics affect serviced apartments?

There’s no denying that the Olympics offers a great opportunity for serviced apartment operators and agents, and most will be asking for higher rates during the Olympics period. This won’t come as a surprise to many: a quick glance at business traveller forums will tell you that most business travellers are prepared to accept a modest increase in rates.

Organisations should be considering their plans for the London 2012 Olympics, says Fiona Murchie, managing editor of Re:locate.

Be prepared, and make the most of a fabulous opportunity to showcase your business on the international stage! With the Olympics and Paralympics expected to boost the economy by £5.1 billion, and a predicted £750 million increase in consumer spend, it’s time to pull together.

http://www.visaeurope.com/en/newsroom/news/articles/2011/visa_2012_economic_impact.aspx

If you haven’t already thought how your company will be impacted by the Olympics, now is the time to plan. You may be among the 60% of businesses that think they won’t be affected by the Olympics and Paralympics. How wrong they are!

Serviced accommodation fits the relocation need perfectly, being ideal for a number of different assignee profiles. As a new report analysing global developments and trends in the sector is published, Re:locate takes a look at some of its key findings.

According to a new study by Lloyds TSB, homeowners living close to the main site of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games have seen the value of their properties rise by an average of nearly £60,000 since July 2005, when London won the right to host the Games.

The average house price across the 14 postal districts closest to the main Olympics site rose by 28 per cent, from £208,148 in July 2005 to £266,730 in May 2011. However, this rise was below the London average of 48 per cent, and house-price performance in the individual Olympic postal districts has been mixed.

With the London Olympic Games just over a year away, mobility practitioners planning to relocate employees during 2012 should start their planning now if they haven’t already done so, says Caroline Meszaros-Suard, of Pricoa Relocation.

We all know that the summer months are some of the busiest of the year for those working in global mobility. And the summer months can be some of the most exciting, yet stressful, months for employees relocating during this time.

With London being a key relocation city, and with the 2012 Olympic Games taking place here in just over 12 months, it is crucial to start thinking about how the Games are going to affect your organisation, your global mobility forecasting, and your employees who might be moving during this time.

The UK Border Agency estimates the numbers of Olympic athletes, Paralympics athletes, coaches, officials, press and media attending the games to be over 40,000 during the 60-day festival of sport. In addition, they are expecting a 3% rise in overseas visitors owing to the ‘Olympics Effect’.

Serviced apartments are typically so great for flexibility; you’re in for a while, you can relax into a lifestyle – and, towards the end of your stay, you can usually have the option to extend.

With a knowledgeable, hands-on agent looking after your interests, it’s all helped along by great communications.

Fantastic. Except that now there is an elephant in the room …

London 2012 is a big headache for the business travel industry, and the party hasn’t even started yet.

With building almost done, logistical planning is being accelerated now, not just to stage the events, but also to accommodate athletes officials, corporate hospitality, and so on.

With tickets for the London 2012 Olympics now on sale, it is time to think seriously about how the Olympics will impact on finding accommodation for assignees over the summer of 2012.

The opening ceremony will take place on 27 July and the closing ceremony 16 days later, on 12 August. Taking into account the build-up in the weeks beforehand, as well as the numbers of people who will be staying on to enjoy tourist and cultural attractions in the capital and further afield, the disruption could last for weeks, or even months.

And the Paralympics, which run from 29 August to 9 September, will also impact on the short-term property picture.

The solution is to plan ahead now and work with your suppliers to ensure your corporate needs are met. If you haven’t already started to communicate with your business and project teams about their requirements for 2012, it is time to start managing expectations and planning with military precision.

You will have to consider: