In the case of leasing business spaces, tenants and their brokers too often gauge the success of a transaction primarily by the difference between the current market rent and the negotiated lease rate. However, by focusing solely on rent, a corporate tenant could actually stand to lose much more than the negotiated savings, ultimately losing considerable money on total occupancy costs.

Among the scores of pages that make up a typical lease document, there are at least 100 negotiable aspects that can lead to significant savings for tenants. These range from smaller items like monthly parking fees and rooftop-access rights to more substantial matters such as sublease rights and termination options. To maximize savings, tenants must negotiate all facets related to their company’s circumstances. The following factors are crucial to the success of any transaction.

A wide range of commercial leasing possibilities exist. Typically, an office lease in a major city and a retail lease in a suburban shopping center will be considerably different.

From a broad perspective, there are a few types of leases commonly found. Within these categories, leases may vary considerably.

Most “form” leases provide that the tenant can’t make any alterations or improvements to the premises without the landlord’s consent. Those provisions are typically too restrictive and you should attempt to negotiate changes. For example, try to get the right to make non-structural changes or changes costing less than $2500 without the need to obtain the landlord’s consent.

Before you can occupy the space, the premises may need some improvements or alterations to make it appropriate for your business needs. Here are some key questions to ask about the initial tenant improvements and alterations:

Because your company’s future space needs are uncertain, renewal options for an office lease can be quite helpful. However, some landlords may be reluctant to grant such options, because doing so limits their flexibility to market the space to prospective tenants.

If the landlord is amenable to a renewal option, try to get the option rent at a fixed pre-determined price. If you can, avoid the renewal options that are based on “fair market rent.” Here are the key issues for renewal options:

• How many option terms can you get?
• How long is each option term?

Commercial office building tenants breathe a sigh of relief when mild summer weather reduces utility costs from their heights in the winter. But you can still continue to review the energy efficiency of your operations to lower costs and boost profitability.

At first glance, the task may seem easy. People today can pick the latest in fluorescent lighting, electronic controls and heating and cooling equipment. Technological advances put their energy efficiency well beyond that of similar equipment made just 10 years ago.