We have significant expertise in preparing, reviewing and advising on retail and commercial leases.
Tenants
Rental costs are a significant proportion of overheads. It is important that you engage a commercial lawyer to review your lease before entering an arrangement that may have long term negative consequences for your business.
We can review and negotiate your retail or commercial lease so that you have certainty with regard to the key terms, along with comfort that there are no “hidden” terms that will later become detrimental to your business.
Amongst other things, you should consider:
- the initial rent and method of increasing the rent;
- your ability to transfer or assign the lease, and the expense of doing so;
- your rights to end the lease including any “make good” provision;
- duration of the lease and your right to renew it;
- who pays for outgoings and other charges;
- the types of insurance required and who maintains it;
- the consequences of failing to pay rent; and
- ways of resolving disputes.
Please contact us for our free white paper “Leasing Guide for Tenants”.
Landlords
We act for landlords to ensure the protection of their property rental income streams. Whether it be preparing and negotiating leases, acting on an assignment of lease, extending, amending or surrendering leases or recovering unpaid rent, you can be assured that our team will manage the project competently and cost effectively.
Retail landlords must adhere to the Retail Shop Leases Act 1994 (Qld). The key theme of this legislation is disclosure compliance, and we are experienced in assisting retail landlords to ensure that their leases are valid and their ongoing obligations under the Act are satisfied.