I’ve rented some shop premises for the last ten years, although I’ve no lease and no tenancy agreement. Now it needs a new roof. Can I ask the landlord to pay for it?
If you had a lease it’s more than likely that it would make you responsible for the upkeep of the premises, including repairing the roof, assuming you rent the upstairs part of the building as well. As things stand it’s possible you may be able to force the landlord to carry out the repairs. You will need a solicitor’s help with this, and if you plan to stay you should get a lease drawn up. Of course without a lease and any defined notice period you may be able to move and leave the roof problem to your landlord.