Key clauses to review
- Rent and escalations, including how increases are calculated
- CAM and operating expenses: what is included, caps, exclusions, and audit rights
- Repair and maintenance responsibility, especially roof, structure, and HVAC
- Use and exclusives, and what happens if the landlord leases to a competitor
- Assignment and subletting, including transfer on sale of the business
- Renewal options and how renewal rent is set
- Personal guaranty scope, caps, and burn-off
- Default and cure periods, and attorney's fee clauses
- Casualty, condemnation, and relocation rights
Amendments and renewals
An amendment or renewal is a chance to fix terms that caused problems in the original lease. It is also a common place for new obligations to appear in standard language.
Accessibility disclosure
California Civil Code section 1938 requires commercial landlords to state whether the premises have been inspected by a Certified Access Specialist (CASp). That disclosure affects who pays for accessibility work and should be addressed in the lease.
General information about California law, not legal advice for your situation. Deadlines and outcomes depend on the facts and the documents. Past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome.