How to Rent an Office, Retail, Or Industrial Space

Once you have a business plan written up you are ready to begin your search for an office space to rent. You will need to anticipate what your needs are going to be. You are then going to have to begin your search.

Things You'll Need

• Measurements
• Lease or rental agreement
• Real estate agent

Instructions

1. Determine how much space you need for your business. This will eliminate looking at offices that are too small or too big. The space you need can be determined by how many rooms you require, how many desks you will have or how many products you are planning to sell. If you already have an office space and you are looking to expand with a new office then measure the space you currently have. Take that figure and only bother looking at offices that are larger than that.

2. Decide what type of agreement you need to have with the owner. Are you looking for a yearly lease, or do you want a month-to-month rental agreement? If you are starting up a new business, you may not want to make any long term commitments. Sometimes owners of offices for rent are willing to negotiate on the contracts.

3. Chose your location wisely. If you have a retail store or business office that you want people to know about then you will want to rent an office space that is exposed to a lot of traffic. Strip stores or malls are good places to start. They already have foot traffic and that will reduce your advertising costs. To find a space to rent in these locations just drive by and call the number in the window. These spots usually just have for rent signs in the window with the owner's information.

4. Check local papers for offices for rent. You will be able to call the owner for more details or take a drive by the property to get sense of its condition. You don't want to rent from a place that needs a lot of work done. You could alway put it in the contract that owner needs to make updates, but the owner doesn't always follow through. You should look for something that has clearly been taken care of or require that the owner make repairs before you take possession of the property.

5. Use a real estate office. If your business is professional you may want to considering getting some help from a real estate agent. Real estate agents don't just sell houses, they also have listings of houses and buildings for rent. Let them know what you are looking for and they can help you find a good match. They will also be able to help you negotiate your lease or rental agreement. They will have a better understanding of the terminology as well.

Tips & Warnings

• If your business is new, consider asking the owner if you could sublet the office space if you find out you are not going to be making a profit. This will allow you to find someone else to take over the space so you are not held liable for breaking the lease early.

• If you close down your business early and you had signed a multi-year lease, you are still going to be responsible in a court of law to pay for all the months you didn't use the building.