New lease negotiation

We are lawyers, just different. We tell it like it is.

Do not leave it to later

Most lawyers do not negotiate. By the time the landlord’s lawyer sends the lease to the tenant, the time for real negotiation has ended. After that, getting a lawyer to argue with the landlord’s lawyer is like trying to change the recipe after you’ve taken a bite of the cake. It’s too late.

Are you making a lease offer ? You have to act now.

What is a heads of agreement ?

A heads of agreement (HOA) is a short-form lease offer. Sometimes called a letter of intention to lease, lease offer, lease advice, lease summary and so on – they are all the same. If you have received a HOA, pause. Do you have a business case ?

Simple lease negotiation strategies

We keep it simple. Effective lease negotiation is all in the preparation.

The best lease deals go to tenants who understand their business case and the leasing process.

Armed with these two things, tenants are well placed to protect their interests both now and well into the future. You cannot negotiate if you do not know your interests.

Like what you’re reading ? Check out our thinking on negotiation strategies for healthcare tenants.

Acceptable leases

Before you raise your hand, do you really know what you should and should not agree to ?

Your business case will guide you on what is acceptable. Without a business case, a tenant is rudderless. How can a lease be right if a tenant does not know what is and is not unacceptable ? Again, it all comes down to preparation.

We take the time to explain what you need to know – the real dangers and opportunities for tenants like you.

Calm and careful

There is no rush. There is absolutely no problem with our clients taking their time to make cool, calm decisions about their best interests. We are here to buffer tenants from the usual high-pressure sales tactics. We know how to play the game.

What you need to know

• The big wins (and big mistakes) happen very early on.
• A well prepared tenant has a better chance of winning.
• Get help immediately.
• Landlords will not alert you to the risks.
• It is tenant-beware in all things.
• The way leases work is not always obvious.
• What you think are small, insignificant decisions can have massive impact.
• Bad leases can take years to bite. They bite hard.

Bending the rules

Not everyone plays by the same rules and the game is not always polite.

You may run into some shady stuff. It is not unheard of for landlords and their agents to:

• ignore basic enquiries
• sales ABC – “always be closing”
• use high pressure, high anxiety communications
• ghost and use tactical delay (letting you squirm)
• fake better offers from other tenants

That’s fine. They have a job to do too.

We have the antidote to all of these things. Preparation. A well prepared tenant makes better choices.