Thinking about leasing a shop unit?
Coffee shop?
Office?
Other commercial premises?
If you are thinking about leasing a commercial shop unit in Ireland there are a number of key areas you need to consider before going ahead.
Set out below is a non-exhaustive list of issues that you will need to be satisfied about before investing your cash in a full repairing and insuring lease (FRI lease).
At the end of the piece I also deal with some common questions I am regularly asked by people looking to start or grow their business by taking on a commercial unit.
1) The term
How long will your lease be? Will you have statutory rights under the Landlord and Tenant (Amendment) Act, 1980? Will you have a break clause? Is Vat payable?
2) Repairs
Who is responsible for repairs? If it is a lease in excess of 5 years you as tenant will likely be responsible.
If it is a lease of less than 5 years you may only be responsible for internal repairs.
The question of whether it is a new building or an older building will also be significant and other issues to be addressed would include latent and inherent defects in the building, what is considered fair wear and tear and what risks are covered by insurance.
3) Insurance
If it is a full FRI lease then you as tenant will almost certainly have to pay the insurance premium held in your landlord’s name.
This will vary depending on whether you are the sole occupier of the building or if it is multi tenanted in which case you will be obliged to pay a proportion of the landlord’s premium.
You will therefore be concerned about the risks that the landlord is insuring against and whether the building is insured for reinstatement value or cost.
As tenant you will also want to insure against public liability, employers liability, plate glass and contents but this will depend very much on the nature of your business.
4) Alterations
You may need to make alterations when you take on the property to ensure that it is right for the purpose intended.
This will generally require the landlord’s consent which cannot be unreasonable withheld or delayed.
5) Alienation of the premises
Alienation is the legal term for your assignment of the lease to a third party; you will need the landlord’s consent to this but the landlord cannot unreasonably withhold or delay his consent.
However the question of reasonableness is one which might be disputed and the landlord may argue that his refusal is in the interests of “good estate management” and is therefore reasonable.
6) Service charges
Service charges may or may not arise in your particular circumstance. If there are service charges in respect of common areas you will need to ascertain exactly what is included and how much your service charges will be.
7) Rent reviews
How the rent will be reviewed will be of critical importance to you; generally rent reviews will take place at 5 yearly intervals and is an area that may require arbitration or some agreement as to how any disputes will be resolved.
8) Guarantee
Will you be obliged to provide a guarantee for rent, rates and other outgoings?
9) Break clause
Is there a break clause in the lease?
10) Stamp duty and VAT
You will be liable for the stamp duty on the lease but landlords also have an option to charge VAT or not. This is another area that you will want to check before investing as it can have a significant impact on your cash flow.
These are just some of the many factors you need to consider and be clear on before leasing a commercial premises.
Here are some questions that crop up repeatedly. If you have any questions simply send them in to me with the contact form below and I will answer them.
Commercial Premises F.A.Q.
‘How long should I sign a lease for?’
This very much depends on
- What you want and need
- What the landlord wants, needs, and is prepared to give you.
So, it depends on good, old-fashioned negotiation between you and the landlord, or his agent.
You need to consider your future needs and potential expansion/growth; however, you must also consider your business failing. It’s not a pleasant thought but you need to consider it. At least one break clause can give you a way out of the lease, and it could be exercised due to the growth and new needs of your business, or the failure of the business.
‘What documentation will I need?’
When you go to take a look at the premises to speak to the landlord and/or auctioneer, you don’t need any. Later on if you are going ahead, your solicitor will require some identification and anti money laundering papers, but initially when negotiating you don’t need anything.
‘What are my legal responsibilities (and the landlord’s)?’
Your main responsibilities will be to pay the rent, insurance, and any service charge. However, the location of your unit-for example in a shopping centre or multi unit development-may place some extra responsibilities on you. These will all be contained in your lease in the form of covenants and conditions; your landlord’s entitlements and obligations will also be found in the lease, and for this reason you need to negotiate a good one at the outset.
‘As the property is not finished it still needs toilets, railings walls plastered, staircases and a number of other unfinished works. I am unsure as to what I should be asking them to finish as I don’t know what it is they will expect me to finish.’
This too is a matter for negotiation and agreement, and you want to be sure to avoid having to carry out a huge amount of renovations/refurbishments which may only benefit the landlord in the long run.
If there is work to be done, and the landlord undertakes to carry it out, get a surveyor or architect to check the work before signing a lease.
Your solicitor will also be looking for certificates of compliance with planning permission and building regulations from the landlord’s solicitor, but you need to be sure that the work is carried out to a satisfactory standard for your needs.