Top 10 Issues in Commercial Leasing

Vasiliki Yiannoulis is an associate with Withers Bergman.

NEW YORK CITY—Tenants often view commercial leases as meriting less scrutiny than other commercial real estate transactions. However, commercial leases are usually negotiated on the landlord’s form, necessitating careful review since such forms tend to be heavily favorable to landlords. Further, leases are typically long-term agreements that can have a substantial impact on a tenant’s profitability. While tenants tend to focus on the obvious (e.g., fixed rent), there are other provisions that can also prove to be significant. What follows are some important issues that should be carefully considered in commercial leases.