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What is a Commercial Lease Agreement?
A Commercial Lease Agreement outlines the rights and obligations of a landlord and their tenant when they are renting commercial property. Commercial property includes office buildings, industrial space, restaurants, retail shops, warehouses, and more. If you want to rent out residential property, use our Tenancy Agreement.
A Commercial Lease Agreement aims to establish lease terms, so each party is bound to them. A lease agreement protects tenants by documenting their right to use the rental property for business purposes. This document protects landlords because it records the tenant’s obligations.
A Commercial Lease Agreement is also known as a:
- Business lease agreement
- Business rental agreement
- Business letting agreement
- Commercial tenancy agreement
Why is it important to use Commercial Lease Agreements?
Whether you are a landlord or tenant, using a lease is essential when renting commercial space. Perhaps most importantly, Commercial Lease Agreements prove that both parties agreed to the lease terms and are bound to them. With a binding contract, each party can hold the other accountable for their obligations.
It is not uncommon for landlords and tenants to have disputes, such as disagreeing about who pays for repair costs. Commercial Lease Agreements clarify the obligations of both parties, so each person knows what is expected of them during the tenancy. Furthermore, a written agreement prompts the parties to review the various terms before agreeing to the arrangement, preventing future misunderstandings.
If a landlord and tenant end up in a legal dispute and one party files a legal claim against the other, a lease agreement may be the only written record an intervening court can reference. Although verbal agreements can be binding, written agreements are much more secure. Without a written contract, both parties cannot prove the tenancy's agreed-upon terms.
Types of commercial leases
Our template allows you to create a standard or comprehensive lease. A standard lease contains all the vital terms for creating a legally binding contract but does not give the option of revising the standard clauses.
A comprehensive lease is a highly detailed and customisable lease agreement that allows you to control the exact wording of the contract.
Standard and comprehensive leases can be fixed or periodic.
Fixed-term
A lease with a fixed term specifies the exact day the tenancy will end. In a fixed-term lease, the landlord cannot increase the rent or change any other lease terms unless they expressly reserve the right in the original lease terms.
In general, if the tenant remains past the specified lease end date, the landlord can either:
- Accept rental payments and have the lease continue as a periodic tenancy with the same rules as the expired fixed-term lease
- Create and sign a new lease
- Start eviction proceedings against the tenant
Sometimes, if the tenant has occupied the property for three years or more in Ireland, the tenant will acquire a right to renew the lease for successive terms.
Periodic
A periodic lease renews automatically every month or year until the tenant or landlord terminates it. A periodic lease is also known as a month-to-month or year-to-year lease.
When periodic leases are month-to-month, they can offer greater flexibility to both the tenant and the landlord to break the lease, evict the tenant, change the terms, and raise the rent. A landlord can generally increase rent and make changes to the terms if they provide the tenant with proper notice.
What is included in a Commercial Lease Agreement?
Generally, a Commercial Lease Agreement should include the following information:
- The personal information of the landlord and tenant, such as personal and business names, addresses, and contact information
- The guarantor’s information, if applicable
- The property’s details, such as the address and folio number of the commercial rental space
- The permitted use of the rental property and any restrictions placed upon the landlord, such as not leasing to direct competitors in the same building
- The lease terms, such as the lease type, length, and start and end dates
- The rent details, including the amount, payment frequency, and whether the tenant pays service charges
- The responsibility for utilities, insurance payments, and maintenance, such as who is obligated to pay for which expenses
A Commercial Lease Agreement should also specify the following:
- Whether or not the tenant can assign or sublease the property
- Whether the tenant will pay gross rent or gross rent plus additional charges
- Whether there will be a rent review process
- Whether the landlord will charge a security deposit
- Whether the landlord has to make improvements to the property or whether the tenant can renovate or make improvements to the property
Do tenants have to register Commercial Leases?
Yes. According to the Property Services (Regulations) Act 2011, a tenant must register their commercial lease with the Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA). Under sections 87 and 88 of the above Act, tenants have to provide the following information when registering:
- Address and description of the commercial property
- Date of lease
- Term
- Rent payable in respect of the property
- Any other details provided under section 88
- Any other details as may be described by regulations
What happens if one party breaks the terms of the Commercial Lease Agreement?
If either a landlord or their commercial tenant breaks the terms of their Commercial Lease Agreement, there can be serious consequences. It is known as a breach of contract when either party does not comply with the lease terms.
Commercial tenants breaking their lease terms
A commercial tenant may break their lease terms in the following ways:
- Not paying their rent: Failing to pay the rent is one of the most common breaches committed by tenants.
- Moving out before the lease ends: A commercial tenant breaches their lease if they move out before the term ends. Generally, if a tenant wants to end the lease earlier than the term duration, they must obtain written consent from the landlord.
- Not fulfilling other lease obligations: A tenant must comply with their additional obligations, such as only using the commercial property for the purpose set out in the lease.
- Does something prohibited by lease or the law: A tenant can also be considered in breach of a lease if they do something prohibited by the lease or the law.
When a tenant breaches their lease terms, the best place for a landlord to start is sending them a warning. It is easiest when the tenant can remedy the issue, and the landlord does not have to take further action.
However, tenants do not always cooperate, and landlords may have to seek different solutions. Depending on the severity of the breach, a landlord can terminate the lease, sue the tenant, or take other legal action.
Can you change a Commercial Lease Agreement?
Yes, you can change a Commercial Lease Agreement with a Lease Addendum (also known as a Lease Amendment). An addendum allows a landlord and tenant to keep the existing lease active while adding, removing, or modifying one or more clauses within the Commercial Lease Agreement. It's a convenient alternative to creating a whole new lease agreement when making minor changes to a lease.
Irish law requires that the landlord and tenant agree to the amendments and sign the document for it to be valid. Also, the amended agreement must still be valid under the Landlord and Tenant Law Amendment Act, Ireland 1860.