A WOMAN rented a property in Longgang District with a five-year tenancy in order to open a dental clinic, only to find out that the property would soon be demolished as part of an urban renewal project a year after the agreement was signed, Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported.

    According to the woman surnamed Lin, she signed a lease contract with a man surnamed Liao, the former legal representative of Shenzhen Bingxin Investment Co. Ltd., for a property with a floor area of about 200 square meters to operate a dental clinic. The lease term is five years starting from November 2018.

    Lin said she paid more than 600,000 yuan (US$85,272) in deposit and rent payments, and forked out over 4 million yuan on decoration, the purchase of medical equipment, employment of dental experts and the clinic’s operation and promotion.

    Lin’s dental clinic officially opened earlier this year, but in October, she was informed of having to move out within a time limit, with the reason given that the venue was about to be demolished. The news came as quite a shock to Lin, as she said the landlord had not notified her before the contract was signed.

    From the notice that Lin received, she learned that Bingxin Investment had rented the place from an advertising company and then subleased it to her. The lease contract between the two companies had expired this October, and the tenancy was only 13 months.

    It is also mentioned in the aforementioned contract that Bingxin Investment had been informed of the demolition plan.

    Lin reported that she had been trying to reach Liao since June this year but failed by every means.

    At present, Lin’s clinic has had its electricity and water supply cut off since November. In order to ensure normal business operation, Lin has purchased three generators and placed buckets full of water at the door of the toilet.

    According to Pan Xiang, a partner with Guangdong Zhongan Law Firm and an arbitrator at Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration, the landlord in the dispute only obtained a lease of 13 months but subleased to the tenant for five years.

    Therefore, the lease agreement shall be deemed invalid according to law if the sublease period exceeds 13 months.

    Pan suggested that the losses suffered by the tenant should be compensated by the landlord, so the tenant may bring a lawsuit to court to claim the losses.

    (Zhang Yu)