A lease is often the longest commercial commitment a growing business makes. Rent is only the headline number. Renewal options, operating expenses, repair duties and exit rights usually determine whether the space remains workable three years later.

Start with the real occupancy cost

Model base rent together with service charges, property tax pass-throughs, insurance, utilities and scheduled increases. Ask for prior-year reconciliations and a clear audit right. A low opening rent can be misleading when controllable expenses are broadly defined.

Check use, access and compliance

The permitted-use clause should cover what the business does today and the services it may add. Confirm signage, parking, delivery access, opening hours and responsibility for accessibility or code upgrades before signing.

Plan the exit while the relationship is good

Negotiate assignment and subletting rights, renewal deadlines, restoration duties and any personal guarantee as one package. If the location stops fitting the business, these clauses decide whether the lease is an inconvenience or a crisis.

Put every landlord promise in the lease or a signed exhibit. A useful checklist ends with documents, not assumptions.