An office lease agreement is a contract between the landlord and tenant to rent space. The tenant pays the rent and uses the space to conduct business ,and benefits because there is no capital expenditure to purchase the property. The landlord benefits because there is a steady stream of income.

About the Office Lease Agreement

A standard multi-tenant office lease agreement will either be a triple net (NNN) lease or a gross (all -inclusive) lease. If there are lots of smaller tenants in the office building and there is only one rental payment, it’s probably a gross lease. 

All of the operating costs of the building, like taxes, insurance, and common area costs, are included in the rental payment. If there are additional payments beyond rent and utilities, it’s probably a triple net lease. The tenant will pay its proportionate share of the costs of operating and maintaining the property in addition to the lease cost.

The office lease agreement draft is usually provided by the landlord and contains language that favors the landlord. It may be a standard office lease agreement or a boilerplate contract, but it still needs to be read and understood. It’s important that all of the negotiated changes are in the document and that the tenant understands what he/she is agreeing to. 

The landlord may state that the lease contains common or standard language, but that doesn’t mean the tenant has to accept it as-is. The landlord has a team representing his/her interests, so the tenant should have a team in place, too. A good commercial real estate attorney with experience can read the lease document and make sure the negotiated items are there, that you are protected both financially and legally, and that you understand the rights and obligations you are taking on when you sign the lease.

Single-Tenant vs. Multi-Tenant Locations

One thing to consider is if there are many tenants in the building or just one. If the tenant is the only occupant, then there is only one source of income for the landlord. The landlord will want to protect against the tenant’s default because mortgage, tax and insurance obligations don’t go away just because the building is vacant. 

A multi-tenant building means the risk is spread out, so there’s a diversification of income sources. The landlord might be willing to make concessions about the creditworthiness of the tenant, but that will probably mean a higher rental rate for the tenant.

You’ve got your team in place and they’ve got your best interest at heart. Your commercial real estate attorney should understand the tenant’s side and have experience dealing with the landlord, meaning they know what to push on and how to get the best deal without tanking the deal. Your attorney should also economize on legal fees and protect the relationship, too.

Getting a Good Office Lease Agreement

It can seem like there’s a lot of lease document for a simple office transaction. A simple transaction usually doesn’t mean a short lease, however!  Your commercial real estate attorney will help you understand the risk, rights and responsibilities of each party, and negotiate to protect your interests.

Disclaimer
The transmission and receipt of information contained on this website does not constitute an attorney-client relationship. Persons should not act upon information found on this website without first seeking professional legal counsel.

1. General Exclusions

The tenant needs to understand what he or she is paying for to ensure that he/she is not being overcharged by a landlord who is trying to turn operating expenses into a profit center. Landlords might put language into the lease allowing for: 

• Charging the cost of capital expenses and improvements when they occur
• Including charges specific to one tenant through to all tenants
• Charging a management fee or administrative fee (or both!) that are not market rate

Here are some areas where a reasonable landlord will negotiate in a commercial real estate lease:

• Leasing commissions, legal fees, promotional costs, etc.
• Charges relating to sewer or water connections
• Entertainment or travel expenses
• Cost of repairs, replacements, etc. covered by insurance
• The cost of any alterations or improvements due to construction defects or compliance reasons
• Repairs due to condemnation or casualty
• Costs related to lease negotiations or disputes
• Correcting a tenant violation of a lease
• Depreciation 
• Costs of renovating, redecorating or improving a space
• Amounts paid to landlord-related parties for services that are above the market rate
• Salaries of landlord employees that are mangers
• Landlord’s general overhead and administrative expenses
• New or additional structures
• Capital expenses
• Income, excess profits, franchise, transfer, estate or inheritance taxes 

2. Capital Expenditures

Capital expenses are not capital improvements.  A new roof or air conditioner are not repair or maintenance items, but are capital improvements that benefit the project. These capital expenses often have a useful life beyond a tenant’s commercial lease term. Landlords like them because they are needed and it may increase operating expenses on a go-forward basis. Tenants don’t want to pay for more than their share of these expenses. A typical example is a replacement HVAC unit. 

The best way to resolve this is to compromise.  The tenant will pay for capital expenditures that reduce overall operating expenses, but those costs are amortized over the useful life of the improvement. 

3. Management Fees

Another potentially expensive section is the issue of the management fee for the project. Landlords may hire an affiliated party to manage the property. There’s no guarantee that the rate being paid to the property manager is market rate, or that the landlord isn’t padding operating expenses and keeping the difference.

There are a couple of different ways to address this.  One solution is to specifically state that whoever the landlord hires as the property management company, that entity will not be paid more than the market rate.  Another solution is to simply to cap the cost of the management fee, usually as a percentage of the gross rent for the building. 

NEGOTIATION TIP: Watch out for a commercial real estate lease that charges an administrative fee AND a management fee!  It doesn’t matter how it’s calculated, it’s usually a landlord attempt to collect twice on the same charge. A good commercial real estate attorney can help the tenant negotiate to control this cost.

4. Controllable Operating Expenses

Finally, another way to avoid overcharging for operating expenses is to cap the increase for “controllable” operating expenses. Controllable expenses typically excluded insurance, real estate taxes, and specific other items that are beyond the landlord’s control.

How do you know what other controllable expenses are?  Need help understanding the different fees and how to negotiate them?  Hire a commercial real estate attorney, who knows what to look for and will advocate for your best interests.

Disclaimer
The transmission and receipt of information contained on this website does not constitute an attorney-client relationship. Persons should not act upon information found on this website without first seeking professional legal counsel.