- Is the rent fair and will it increase?
It goes without saying that you should be comfortable with the
rent you are paying, but the real challenge is to be completely
sure that the rent is appropriate for the space you are using. Some
questions to ask yourself could include:
- Do you have access to common areas and elevators?
- Do the measurements in the lease of the space you're using
include the thickness of the walls?
It might sound silly to check some of the more simple items, but
if you can negotiate a better price for the space you are using,
you'll be patting yourself on the back at the end of it.
You should also be aware that it's common for commercial
lease agreements to have an annual percentage-based rent increase.
It would be wise of you to negotiate this with your landlord, to
ensure a cap is put on this percentage. That way you can avoid
being stuck with unmanageable costs as the rent increases each
year.
