Westfield operator Scentre Group has issued a strong warning on its right to collect rent and its commitment to conventional retail leases after booking in an interim loss of $3.6 billion, brought lower by hefty write-downs on its malls portfolio.

Disputes over rent collection and the long-standing structure of retail leases flared into the open last week, when Scentre closed dozens of stores operated by Mosaic Brands and Strandbags in its Westfield malls.