Expected Behavior Of Commercial Property Lessees
July 10, 2010 by Chris Channing
Filed under Real Estate
A small business that isn’t purely service-based will need a commercial location to operate out of. The problem is that a new business owner might not know how to treat the relationship between a building owner and the business owner, leading to problems. Following a code of conduct can make such issues irrelevant.
Skimming over the contract is not enough to know what your responsibilities should be. If possible, ask the building owner to sit down with you and go over each section. That way you will be properly informed of everything you must know to successfully operate your business according to code. It also helps iron out any unfair rules that might be stuck in if you didn’t read the lease.
Don’t start moving into the commercial real estate until you take an adequate amount of photographs of the property. Try to get outside and inside shots of the building to document its shape when you officially moved in. This will be handy in many different cases. Keep the photographs in a safe place such as your home office or in a safety deposit box.
Timely payments are a must. When dealing with a rental property, you can suffer a huge blow to your credit rating by missing a payment even for one day. A missed payment can also be subject to large penalty fees, and can lead to an eviction of the property if stated in the lease agreement.
Everyone likes to see a clean lot and building. What some business owners don’t know is that it could also be a requirement to keep the premises clean. If the property were to become dirty, it could lower the overall value of the property and neighboring properties. As such, there are usually clauses that spell out rules on cleaning the property. Clean up could include picking up cigarettes, assorted trash, and keeping lots free of leaves, snow, and foliage.
At some point it is viable for a business to either fail or expand into another location. In either case, the property owner should be notified that you plan to evacuate the property. It is nice to give notice as soon as you are able, so the property owner will be able to find another business to fill the area. There is likely to be a clause in the lease agreement that mentions the time period required to give notice before a tenant may leave the agreement.
Closing Comments
Land owners are easy to get along with, so long as you can follow the rules they put down. If everyone follows the lease agreement to plan, there shouldn’t be any problems in conducting business for as long as you need. Good tenants tend to be successful ones.
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