G. Other Tenants and Services in and Near the Building

WHAT KIND OF SPACE DO YOU NEED?



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H. Parking



I. Building Security



For many businesses, it’s essential to have

ample parking—whether a designated lot

on the building site, on the street, or in a

nearby parking lot or garage. Parking may

be a high priority for several reasons. If

public transit is inadequate, people will

need to drive to your business. If your

business involves selling or servicing large

items such as stereo equipment, customers

will need nearby parking.

If parking is a requirement for you,

remember that your landlord may impose

an additional charge for on-site parking.

(Alternatively, you might want to rent space

in a nearby lot.) Also, be aware that you

won’t be guaranteed a specific number of

spaces or spaces at a designated location

unless the lease says so. Chapter 13, Section

A, explains negotiating for parking.



If crime is a known problem in the neighborhood and customers or employees are

assaulted or robbed, you may be found

partially responsible if you have not taken

reasonable steps to prevent criminal incidents or at least warn of them. Your landlord, too, may ultimately bear some

responsibility, but the portion of a jury

award or settlement figure that you end up

paying is hardly the point. You never want

to be in a position of worrying about customers’ and employees’ safety, and you

never want to be drawn into a lawsuit,

even one that you win, if you can at all

avoid it.

Security is a bigger issue for some businesses than for others. Enterprises that are

open late, handle large amounts of cash,

deal in easily fenced merchandise, attract

large numbers of vulnerable customers, or

are poorly staffed will have more to worry

about than others. If your business is likely

to be attractive to a burglar or assailant,

you’ll want both a safe area and a wellsecured building. These two requirements

should be high on your list of priorities.

• The neighborhood. Your local police

department is a good source of information on the safety of various areas

in your town or city. If certain neighborhoods are charming, convenient,

and cheap, but come with alarming

crime statistics, you’ll want to look

elsewhere.



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NEGOTIATE THE BEST LEASE FOR YOUR BUSINESS



• The building. Your business may need

internal security as much as it needs

to be in a safe environment. Flimsy

locks on doors or windows are invitations to the wrong folks—even if the

neighborhood is safe, you don’t want

to be the first on your block to host a

mugging or a burglary. Reasonable

security steps may include adequate

outside and inside lighting, strong

locks, limited entry, alarm systems,

and even security guards.



doors. A nonprofit environmental organization with lots of volunteers may find that an

upscale neighborhood or building works

against their fundraising efforts. Your

“look” is definitely a matter of taste and a

fair amount of guesswork. If image is

important, treat it as a high priority and be

as specific as possible about the “right”

type of neighborhood or building for your

business.



2. Maintenance



J. Image and Maintenance

The way a building looks—and how it’s

maintained—will be important to some and

practically irrelevant to others. In general,

the more your business serves the public,

the more important is the building’s

appearance. If no one ever sees or visits

your business, it may not matter much,

except to you and your employees.



Some landlords skimp on routine maintenance, which can give property a down-atthe-heels appearance. That’s not always a

drawback—rent may be lower in a building

that’s not spiffy—and you may be in a

business where appearance doesn’t matter

too much. But if a well-maintained building

is important, as it will be for most tenants

who are concerned about image, add that

to your worksheet.



1. Image



3. Nonsmoking Policy



A building’s image and the neighborhood’s

prestige are intangible and may or may not

be important to you. A high-tech business

may want to locate in a sleek, modern

building in an office park. A children’s store

may prefer something warmer or more

homelike. An expedition outfitter may be

looking for a rugged, rambling building that

suggests the atmosphere of the great out-



If your business has a nonsmoking policy

and is leasing in a multitenant building, understand that the building-wide ventilation

and heating systems may still permit smoke

from other tenants’ spaces to waft into your

space. To guard against such pollution,

you’ll need to satisfy yourself that the air in

your space isn’t mixed with the air from



WHAT KIND OF SPACE DO YOU NEED?



other spaces in the building—or that the

building strictly enforces a nonsmoking

policy for everyone. Be aware that state

law may restrict smoking, too.



4. Visibility and Signage

If your business needs to be seen—for

example, you run a coffee bar that depends

in large part on drop-in trade from pedestrians and motorists—make sure that the

space you’re considering is visible from the

sidewalk or street. You’ll also need to find

out whether local ordinances will permit

the kind of signage you want, and whether

the landlord will allow it. If your business

falls into this category, make visibility and

signage a high priority.



5. Special Requirements

Your business may have special needs that

can make or break a deal. A plastic surgeon who does procedures in the office

may need to be sure the building has a

backup power source to provide uninterrupted electricity. A photographer may

need adequate plumbing and ventilation for

a darkroom. Be sure to note any special

needs when you put together your Rental

Priorities Worksheet.



1/ 2 3



K. Expansion or

Purchase Potential

If you plan on growing your business or

would like to own your building in the

near future, you may want to locate space

now that has the potential for expansion or

purchase. You’ll save yourself the hassle

and expense of another search and move

to new space, and you may be able to lock

in favorable expansion or purchase terms

now, in your lease.



1. Ability to Expand Space

After the first year or two, you may need

more space. Depending on your expectations

for growth, you may feel that the ability to

take over additional space in the building is

a high-priority factor. You’ll want to nail

down your right to occupy additional parts

of the building in a lease clause giving you

the right of first refusal when space opens

up. Negotiating for this right is covered in

Chapter 14, Section D.



2. Potential Purchase

If you’re leasing an entire building or are a

major tenant in a multitenant building,

don’t discount the possibility that you may

want to own the building someday. If this

is your goal, note that on your worksheet.



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NEGOTIATE THE BEST LEASE FOR YOUR BUSINESS



Rental Priorities Worksheet for “Terri’s Threads”

Address:



Contact:

Phone #:



Email:



Rent:



Deposit:



Other Fees:

Term:



Date Seen:



Date Available:



Brief description of rental space and building:



Essentials

Yes



No



1. Near residential shopping area, upscale neighborhood, lots of foot traffic.



2. Rent less than $2,000 per month.

3. Minimum 1,000 square feet.

4. Separate employee and customer restrooms.

5. One floor, rectangular, separate storage room(s) in back.

6. Sufficient electrical outlets and capacities to support computers for

inventory and accounts.

7. Available by March 1.