Five "MUST Address" Issues in a Commercial Real Estate Lease

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Approximately 75% of my commercial real estate brokerage activity is in leasing and lease renegotiation...either on behalf of a landlord (owner) or tenant (occupant).

Congratulations! If you are reading this post you have secured a new home for your business and are now about to sign a commercial real estate lease and move in. But, before you reduce that pen to paper, you might want to consider a few of the issues below.

In my experience there are at least five "gotcha" issues that should be addressed in any commercial lease agreement. In my layman's opinion, The AIR lease addresses these issues quite thoroughly...with a few tweaks. In the case of an owner generated lease, the issues vary in their treatment.

The five issues are: Operating Expenses; Capital Expenditures; Subordination, Non-Disturbance, and Attornment (SNDA); Rent Increases, and Miscellaneous. I will define each issue, and suggest "asks" during the lease negotiation. This is a layman's review as a commercial real estate practitioner and should not alleviate the need to have all legal documents reviewed by counsel. These issues are from a California perspective and may vary by state.

Operating Expenses (Industrial): Operating expenses, also known as Op Exes are the expenses that an owner incurs in the operation of a property. These expenses include, but may not be limited to, property taxes; property insurance; maintenance of the foundation, roof, and walls; landscape maintenance; maintenance of the building's systems...plumbing, electrical, HVAC, etc.; utilities; occupant's share of the amortized capital expenditures, etc. The costs are sometimes referred to as NNN expenses or "gross-ups". These expenses vary greatly based upon an owner's management preferences but are largely skewed by the amount of property taxes. If you negotiate a NNN lease, the costs are paid in addition to your rent...either as due or monthly. If the lease is an industrial gross lease, the base year op exes are included in the base rent. Ask: I suggest postponing the base year until the first full year after the commencement of the lease. If the lease commences in February, this is a tough ask. If the lease commences in October...not so much. I suggest asking for a cap on the increases in op exes over the base year.

Capital Expenditures: Capital Expenditures are expenses that are largely non recurring such as roof replacement, parking lot replacement, drive and landscape modifications, etc. Ask: I suggest there be a mechanism in the lease to specify that any expense that exceeds 50% of the cost to replace a capital system (roof), be the responsibility of the owner and the cost be amortized over 12 years at an agreeable rate of interest.

Subordination, Non Disturbance, and Attornment: This is defined as the financing holder's means of securing their interest and the outcome of any foreclosure. Also known as an SNDA, this clause causes the lease to be subordinate to existing and future financing that is placed on the property. As a tenant, a request that the lease be non-disturbed (terms not modified), should be sought in return that the tenant agrees to attorn (recognize) an owner that becomes the owner through the foreclosure of the underlying debt. Requiring ALL of these is important in my opinion...especially during economic times that could suggest a high likelihood of foreclosure. Ask: I suggest that the lease clearly provide for ALL of the components...S, ND, and A, and that where possible the lender be persuaded to sign an SNDA recognizing the lease.

Rent Increases: These are defined as increases in the rental schedule during the term of the lease. Generally, the increases are at a fixed percentage increase annually or vary based upon the change that occurs in the Consumer Price Index or some other inflationary index. Ask: If a fixed increase cannot be negotiated, Caps and Floors are always suggested to hedge against a rampant inflationary increase.

Miscellaneous: Former and existing cabling removal, ADA requirements (and who is responsible), city permitting, subleasing and assigning, rent abatement vs FREE rent, and options to extend and purchase should all be carefully vetted and when necessary, negotiated.