A Dozen Leasing Tips Every In-House Counsel Should Master

This tip sheet summarizes the highlights of "The Secret to Securing the Corner Office: Leasing Tips Every In-House Counsel Should Master," a CLE presentation presented by real estate partners Sara Hansen Wilson and Michael Woodruff to members of the ACC-SFBA.

1. Leases are living, breathing documents for as long as you pay your rent. You cannot put them in a drawer and forget about them.
2. Carefully review the reconciliation received from the landlord at the end of the base year because there are limits to what a landlord can pass through. Two traps to be careful of are: (a) the landlord who does not charge the annual increases—if a new management company or owner comes in, you could be responsible for the catch-up over a number of years, and (b) in California, because of Proposition 13, a dramatic increase in taxes if the building is sold.