The requirements of a standard commercial lease

When it comes to commercial leases, you can expect to find a pretty wide variety, just as there is variety in the kinds of properties, landlords and tenants these legal contracts are drawn up to accommodate. This is where Saracens Solicitors, a legal firm in the heart of London’s West End, can help.

We are a highly experienced commercial lease solicitor in London, and we can guide you through what you can normally expect to find in a commercial lease and also any unusual or restrictive clauses your landlord may have put in, or you may wish to put in as a landlord.

What you can expect to find

The terms of most leases contain the following common standards:

• Company and/or biographical details for the landlord and leaseholder. If the leaseholder is a company, then someone within the company must be named as being responsible for the lease, for the sake of clarity;
• The dates of the lease, including when it starts, how long it runs for, on what days the rent is due, and when the lease terminates;
• The amount of the deposit and under what, if any, circumstances the deposit will be refunded;
• Details on the condition of the property and in what conditions it is expected to be when the lease has ended;
• Any fees that are payable on a regular basis in addition to the rent;
• Terms of access to the property for the landlord;
• Details of any common spaces in the property and who is responsible for their upkeep and costs;
• Details of permission to sub-lease or share the space. If this is not specifically stated within the lease, then you cannot share or sub-let;
• Details of any verbal agreements regarding the property. When Saracens Solicitors act as your commercial lease solicitor in London, we can word such casual agreements in a way that will make them more enforceable.

Having Saracens Solicitors act as your commercial lease solicitor in London ensures that your lease conforms to the letter of the law and lays out anything we have discussed. However, you need to make sure it does not contain anything not already covered. This is your last chance to change things before signing the lease.