Your Commercial Real Estate Lawyer will draft and negotiate commercial lease agreements on your behalf that are customized to the requirements of the tenant and landlord for that particular transaction. Lease details and particulars are discussed with you whether it is for industrial, commercial, or retail space.

If representing tenants, the Lawyer will make a detailed review of the draft commercial lease agreement of the landlord to ensure nothing untoward is included. Draft comments will be made and discussed with you to understand the priorities and take appropriate actions accordingly. Revisions to the lease are made based on this information.

If representing landlords, the Lawyer understands the lease intentions of a landlord and drafts a suitable and customized commercial lease agreement. They coordinate with tenants’ solicitors to make appropriate negotiations and make sure a mutually agreeable document gets drafted and finalized.

The Commercial Leasing Process

In the commercial leasing process, the landlord and the tenant enter into an offer to lease or letter of intent to lease. It includes the summary of the terms and conditions of the main lease which may be a gross or net lease. Many terms are noted here including the length of the term, conditions for extension or termination, right to transfer, and much more. The offer to lease once accepted is to be used when drafting the long lease, as terms agreed in the offer to lease are binding in principle.

The offer to lease can include the provision where the tenant may agree to enter into the landlord’s standard lease. This is more favorable for the landlord and not so for the tenant as it can have financial implications for the tenant.

Standard leases are drafted in the format to protect the landlord’s legal rights. From a tenant’s perspective, it is advisable to enter into a formal lease that is acceptable to both landlord and the tenant.

A lease agreement is implied to be in force if the parties conduct themselves as if the lease is in force, even though it may not have been signed formally.

Gross Lease Vs Net Lease

In a gross lease, the landlord has the responsibility for paying all costs of the property like insurance, repairs, maintenance, and other taxes. The tenant pays a single fixed rental amount which is calculated by the landlord after factoring in the anticipated property costs. In a net lease, the tenant pays a fixed tenancy cost plus all additional property costs.

Franchisor And Franchisee Leases

Franchise location leases are also negotiated and completed by the Commercial Real Estate Lawyer. These leases differ from commercial leases as they include the right to sublet the premises to the franchisee to occupy them as a tenant. Head lease and sublease are negotiated separately, and both landlord and tenant priorities are taken care of at the time of negotiations.

Other Unconventional Leases

There are many unconventional leases that are beyond the scope of typical commercial leases. These include solar roof-top leases, and ground and building leases which come with their own set of considerations.

Ground Leases

Ground leases can be used for developed or vacant properties. In this, the tenant has more obligations as compared to other kinds of leases.

Building Leases

Building leases allow greater responsibility and control to the tenant as compared to simple commercial leases as they have the structure located on the property itself.

Solar Rooftop Leases

Solar rooftop leasing is another category that is gaining prominence in Ontario. It has its origins in the newly introduced Ontario’s Green Energy Act. In this type of leasing, companies got the right to install solar panels on commercial rooftops.
They come with a time duration in which the property owner gets the title of the solar installation. You will need to address the specific and unique concerns of maintenance, control, and access with solar rooftop leases.

Engaging experienced commercial real estate lawyers well versed in such types of leases will be a great help in securing your contracts in this field.

How We Can Help

At Pickford & Associate Lawyers, our experienced Real Estate lawyers understand your specific circumstances and provide tailored and customized solutions for each of them.

Our Mississauga Real Estate Lawyers are available for a no-obligation free consultation. Come and experience our quality legal counsel and the personalized care we give to each client. We ensure prompt communication and a professional approach to achieve successful outcomes for you.

Feel comfortable interacting with our caring team who speak more than 15 languages like English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Albanian, Hindi, Punjabi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, and much more.