How to Lease an Office

Make a list of criteria and follow it when looking for available office spaces.

Starting a small business can mean renting or leasing an office space for your business and your employees. As a business owner, you should know your requirements before you start looking for an office space to lease, as not all office spaces will suit any business type in question. For example, a large warehouse may not be an ideal office space for a web designer, but may be more suitable for a towing business, as the warehouse can store the towing trucks and equipment at night.

Instructions

1. Make a list of criteria before you start looking or visiting potential office spaces. Without a list of criteria, you may feel quite confused as you stand in an office space and must decide whether or not this space is the right one for you. The list should include the amount of square feet required for you and your employees, the number of electrical outlets and your monthly rental fee limit, for example.

2. Find potential office spaces available in your area. Look through newspapers to find rental spaces or drive through the area where you prefer to be located to see if there are rental signs in windows or on doors. Write down the contact number.

3. Call the landlord to schedule a viewing of the space. Once you get there, examine the space to see if it meets your expectations. Have your list of criteria with you as you visit the space and check off each item on the list. Ask the landlord if you are unsure of the size of the space or if the monthly rental fees have not been mentioned.

4. Repeat the examination of each rental space you visit using your list of criteria. The first space you visit may not be the best one available, but keep the landlord's contact information in case it is the one you want to rent after browsing through the available locations.

5. Contact the landlord and inform him that you would like to rent the office space. Although the landlord may say that you can rent it, get it in writing and obtain a rental lease. An oral agreement means nothing, so get the contract.

6. Read through the rental contract to ensure that you understand all of the terms and conditions for renting the space. Know the requirements for extending the lease, for repairing broken items, such as water pipes in the bathroom, and the specific rules for the space, such as no smoking or no pets.

7. Sign the lease and ask the landlord to make you a copy. Move all of your office items into the office space on the date the space is available.

References

• Microsoft Business: Buy or Rent Office Space
• Small Business Notes: Leasing Office Space