Commercial Landlord-Tenant Law

The lawyers at the Dickson Frohlich Phillips Burgess have more than 100 years of combined legal experience protecting the rights of businesses and other parties in Seattle and Tacoma. If you have a commercial tenancy matter, we can help you stand up for the best interests of your business.

Providing careful review of commercial leases

No two commercial leases¹ are the same and, just like any other type of contract, every business owner should carefully review lease agreements before signing as this can be a very important document. The lease sets out the legal rights and responsibilities of landlord and tenant, but may also contain some provisions that may not be clear to you and may limit your rights as a tenant.

Such provisions may cover the following issues:

• Creating personal liability for business owners or managers under the lease agreement
• Extra costs pass through to the tenant
• Tenant responsible for increased taxes if the landlord sells the building
• Restrictions on use of the space
• Restrictions on services provided by the landlord
• Parking restrictions
• Limitations on options to renew the lease
• Early termination options
• Limitations on subleases
• Unreasonable disclaimers regarding the state of the property

These are only a few examples of potentially harmful commercial lease provisions that you want to avoid through careful review of a commercial lease. You do not want to find yourself without a physical space in which to run your business or suddenly facing substantial costs of which you were unaware.

Standing up for commercial tenants

Outside the lease agreement itself, there are many potential legal issues that commercial landlords may face. For example, the space may not be ready or available for you to use on the first day of the lease, which can cause you to postpone operations and lose profits. Additionally, no matter what the lease requires, many commercial landlords fail to properly maintain the premises, some even to the point where it violates your right of habitability². As you can imagine, such commercial tenancy matters can significantly affect the success of your business.

The law often assumes that businesses are more sophisticated tenants than residential tenants and thus does not provide as many legal protections for businesses regarding tenancy matters. However, an experienced attorney can help protect your best interests before you sign a lease and can stand up for your rights if any other problems arise.

Call to meet with our experienced commercial tenancy lawyers today

If you operate a bricks-and-mortar business, chances are good that you will face some type of commercial tenancy issues at some point. Please do not hesitate to contact the skilled commercial tenancy lawyers at the Dickson Frohlich Phillips Burgess for a consultation today.

Sources:

• 1. http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/commercial-lease-basics-29934.html
• 2. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/implied_warranty_of_habitability

Featured Testimonial

“I can’t even tell you how much I appreciate this firm! These guys helped me through one of the most challenging legal situations I’ve faced in my life. Their skill and expertise literally saved my business. I’ve dealt with other counsel in the past but the Dickson firm was by far the most competent and tactful counsel I’ve ever recieved. I would recommend this group to anyone!”

Review by: Keith D.

Reviewing: Seattle Commercial Tenancy

Date published: 2015-08-02

Rating: ★★★★★ 5 / 5 stars

*DISCLAIMER: Please note that every case is different and presents its own unique set of variables. Thus, no guarantee can be made that you will obtain the same or similar result as a previous client.