Other Phone Mast Services: Wayleaves, Lift & Shift, Breaches, Site Audits

For the two core services, see lease renewals and rent reviews. For the legal background, read our phone mast lease and phone mast rent guides. Looking for a phone mast solicitor? See who you need, and when. Reviewed by the Phone Mast Advice team.

Telecoms wayleaves

A wayleave is the agreement that lets an operator run cables, ducts, or small equipment across your land to reach a mast or a neighbouring site. Wayleaves are often signed for a nominal sum decades ago and never revisited. We review what has actually been installed, whether the payment reflects the rights granted, and whether the wayleave should be renegotiated or brought into the main agreement at renewal.

Lift and shift for rooftop sites

Re-roofing, cladding, waterproofing, and Building Safety Act works all need the equipment moved. A lift and shift clause obliges the operator to relocate or remove apparatus temporarily, at its own cost and on reasonable notice. We negotiate the clause where it is missing, and manage the notice and programme where it exists so that building works are not held up by the mast.

Site sharing and assignment reviews

Under Paragraph 16 of the Electronic Communications Code, terms preventing assignment to another operator are void, and Paragraph 17 allows upgrading and sharing within limits without consent. That does not mean every change is lawful or unpaid. We check what has been added to your site, whether the conditions in the Code were met, and whether your agreement entitles you to a further payment or to notice of the change.

Breaches and enforcement

Late rent, unauthorised equipment, access outside the agreed hours, damage to fences and tracks, and failure to maintain the compound are all breaches we see regularly. Substantial breach and persistent late payment are also statutory grounds for terminating a Code agreement under Paragraph 31. We document the breach, put the operator on notice, and pursue the remedy that fits your objective.

Site audits and portfolio reviews

For estates, councils, housing associations, sports clubs, and churches with more than one site, we audit every agreement against current law: rent and review dates, electricity, sharing, expiry, and exposure to the 7 April 2026 changes. The result is a single schedule showing where money is being lost and which sites to act on first.

Interim rent and holding over

Where a lease has expired and the operator remains in occupation, the rent does not stop and neither do your rights. We advise on the rent payable during the holding-over period, including the split at 7 April 2026 between the old and new valuation rules for leases protected by the 1954 Act.

Tribunal and ADR support

Since 7 April 2026, Code disputes are heard by the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), and parties must consider alternative dispute resolution first. We prepare the valuation evidence and support your solicitor through negotiation, ADR, and any Tribunal hearing.