Heaven nightclub could close after landlord “tries to raise rent by £320,000”
The manager of Heaven nightclub in Charing Cross, London, has issued a cautionary statement, expressing concerns about the venue’s future amid soaring rental costs.
The manager, Jeremy Joseph, revealed in a new statement that Heaven’s landlord, The Arch Company, is proposing a crippling £320,000 increase in rent for the nightclub.
In September, the rent saw an automatic spike of £80,000, and now The Arch Company seeks to escalate the figure by an additional £240,000. Joseph emphasised the precarious position not only of Heaven but also of other venues facing similar challenges in a recent Instagram post.
“I’ve decided to go public with what has been going on with our Heaven landlords, The Arch Company,” Joseph wrote. “The last 5 months have been extremely stressful. Last September, Heaven had an automatic rent increase of £80,000, but that wasn’t enough for Arch Co, who are wanting another £240,000 on top.”
“That’s a total increase of an Extra £320,000 a year,” the post continued. “We have been fighting them for five months, and they aren’t willing to back down so it’s going to go to arbitration and has cost us already nearly £10K in legal fees.”
“Watching how so many venues have closed or are struggling because of rent increases, I am going public with this and letting everyone know what we are going through. It has been extremely stressful, and the fight has just begun as it’s time to put public pressure on landlords.”
Joseph also noted the risk posed to major establishments throughout the entire hospitality sector. “This isn’t just about Heaven; this is about every hospitality venue because if our rent goes up, it will increase the rent of other venues because, at arbitration, they use other comparable rents to value yours,” he continued.
“Please support, because we are not the only venue that is at risk because of Landlords. It’s time to fight back and protect hospitality. Too many venues have closed, including G-A-Y Late,” the post concluded, urging clientele to join the fight.
G-A-Y Late was another club run by Joseph. In 2023, he regrettably announced the beloved Soho club’s indefinite closure, citing a rise in attacks on customers and staff, as well as an increase in problematic development works in the area.
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