• The premises and their use

  The address, optional detail such as size and a legal description, the permitted use, competitor leases, parking and pets.

• The term

  Fixed, month-to-month or year-to-year, early possession, an option to purchase and its period, renewal and assignment.

• Rent and who pays what

  Gross, net or triple-net rent, operating costs, when and how often rent is paid, increases, late charges, rent in advance and a deposit.

• Utilities and insurance

  Who pays for each utility and which insurance, and when proof of insurance is given.

• Landlords, tenants and a guarantor

  Up to three landlords and three tenants, with an operating name for a business tenant, and an optional guarantor.

• Improvements and extras

  Work the landlord will do, what the tenant may change, movable property, a signing bonus, inspections and legal costs.

• A lawyer reviews it before it is used

  Your answers are prepared into a draft and reviewed by a qualified lawyer, rather than handed back to you as a finished form.

A commercial lease sets out the terms on which a landlord lets business premises to a tenant: what the space may be used for, how long the tenant has it, what rent is paid and when, what else the tenant pays for, and what each side must do. It is a different agreement from a home rental, with different terms and different expectations on both sides.

This builder asks about the property and its permitted use, parking and pets; the term (fixed, month-to-month or year-to-year), early possession, an option to purchase and renewal; the type of rent (gross, net or triple net) and operating costs, how often and when rent is paid, increases, late charges, rent in advance and a security deposit; who pays each utility and which insurance; the landlords, the tenants and a guarantor; improvements, movable property, a signing bonus and the notice before eviction. A comprehensive version adds a minimum insurance amount and a carpet-cleaning term.

Every figure and period is one you give; none is suggested for you. The draft does not set out what the law of your state may require a commercial lease to say or disclose, and a lawyer should add that before it is signed.

Not sure? Talk to an attorney about your situation first.

These are separate documents, for different jobs.

• Residential lease agreementsSet the terms for renting a home.View document
• Commercial Lease ApplicationCollect a prospective tenant's details for a commercial lease.View document
• Lease amendment agreementsChange the terms of a lease already in place.View document
• Commercial Sublease AgreementLet a commercial tenant sublet its space to another business.View document

• Leasing a retail unit to a new business
• Renting office space for a growing team
• Letting a restaurant space with an option to buy
• Agreeing a triple-net lease with a share of operating costs

• Residential lease agreementsSet the terms for renting a home.View document
• Roommate agreementsAgree how housemates share rent, bills and space.View document
• Short-term rental agreementSet the terms for letting a property to a guest for a short stay.View document
• Offer to leaseOffer to lease commercial space on stated terms.View document