Most small business owners think the commercial lease negotiation starts when they receive the lease. That is understandable. The lease is the big legal document. It is long, dense, and full of unfamiliar language. It feels like the moment when things get serious. But in many commercial leasing deals, the
When COVID-19 shut down storefronts and offices across the country, many small business owners turned to their leases looking for relief. For some, the “force majeure” clause became a lifeline. For others, it was a frustrating dead end. If you’re signing or renewing a commercial lease today, you
When a landlord sends over a lease proposal, one of the first questions most tenants ask is simple: Is this market? It sounds like a straightforward question. But in commercial leasing, the answer is often less clear than it should be. That is because the number most people focus on,
A practical guide to avoiding surprise costs, disputes, and delays when giving commercial space back
Signing a commercial lease is often one of the biggest financial commitments a small business will make. But many tenants focus so heavily on rent, free rent, and buildout dollars that they miss one of the most important risk terms in the deal: the personal guarantee. That matters because a
Signing a commercial lease is one of the biggest financial commitments your business will make. Yet most small business owners skim the document, focus on rent, and assume the rest is “standard.” It is not standard. Leases are drafted by landlords and their attorneys. The language is designed to protect
If you manage a portfolio with multiple leased locations, you are probably tracking rent, options, and expirations. But many portfolios miss a more structural risk hiding in plain sight: the lease cliff. Lease cliffs rarely show up as a single bad decision. They are usually the result of reasonable, incremental
How to Keep Your Commercial Lease in Good Standing After You Sign
A tenant-first guide to reducing losses and regaining flexibility mid-lease
Finding and negotiating a commercial lease is already complicated. Now many tenants are facing a new layer of uncertainty: building emissions laws. New York City’s Local Law 97 (LL97) was the first major standard in the United States to cap carbon emissions for existing buildings and attach significant penalties
How to secure the right tenant improvement allowance and avoid costly build-out surprises.
A practical guide to auditing CAM charges so you can catch errors, cut hidden costs, and only pay what your lease requires.