If you rent a commercial property to run your business, you want to think about all of the different costs that go along with it. Simply paying the rent every month is just the beginning.
One of the other major costs that you may face is maintenance for that property. You have to do upkeep or fix issues that may crop up and hinder your business’s productivity. But who is responsible for that maintenance, you or the landlord?
What type of lease did you sign?
The answer is not simple, as it can differ from case to case. It all depends on the type of lease that you signed. A standard lease may say that you are responsible for the rent and the utilities, for example, while the landlord is expected to pay for general building maintenance.
Alternatively, you may have signed a triple net lease. This is a type of commercial lease that moves all of the responsibilities for the costs to the tenant. You have to pay the property taxes, you have to pay for upkeep and everything else.
This is why it’s so important to carefully go through the lease at the beginning. Never assume that all commercial leases are the same or that you know exactly what you’re signing. Carefully take the time to look through all of your legal options, and consider what you’re looking for when agreeing to a lease.
If you do find yourself involved in a dispute over your commercial lease, perhaps because you believe the landlord should be covering costs that they claim are your responsibility, then you also want to know about the different steps you can take to resolve it.