Taking on a lease

A lease is a legally binding document that entitles the tenant to trade at a specified address for a stated period of time. If you leave during that period of time, then you (the tenant) are still responsible for paying the rent. If you can find a new tenant, who is acceptable to the landlord, then you should be able to assign (hand over) the lease to the new tenant, who will take over paying the rent for the remaining period of the lease. Legally, however, you (the original tenant) are still liable should the new tenant, or any subsequent tenants, stop paying the rent. This is the standard type of agreement for renting a shop.