Commercial Lease Agreement

A lease of shop, office or workshop premises: term and renewal, a rent schedule with yearly and total amounts worked out, service charge, deposit, yearly increase, upkeep, subletting, handover and return, with a printable handover record.

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Commercial Lease Agreement: infographic with a sketch of the document, when to use it, common mistakes and the country versions.
21 clauses, 1 table, 2 parties, 4 signatures.

Country versions

  • International
  • United States *
  • United Kingdom *
  • Korea *
  • Japan *
  • Germany *

* check with local advice

A template, not advice.

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What it is

A commercial lease agreement sets out the terms on which a business rents shop, office or workshop premises: what is let, for how long, what rent is paid and how it may change, who pays for repairs and running costs, what happens to the deposit, and how the tenancy ends. It is a longer-term commitment than most contracts a small business signs, and a mistake in it can cost years of rent, so it is worth the care.

This template starts with the parties and an optional guarantor, then the premises with their floor area, the permitted use and the fixtures that come with them. A rent schedule lets you enter stepped rent over several periods; the yearly rent for each period and the total rent over the whole term are worked out for you. Further sections cover renewal or an early-termination right, service charge, deposit, a fixed or index-linked yearly increase, repairs, subletting, access, ending for breach, and the return of the premises. A handover record for keys, meter readings and the condition found is included to print and sign. Leases of homes follow other rules and are not what this form is for.

When to use it
  • You are opening or moving a shop, studio, office or workshop and need a written lease.
  • You own premises and want to let them to a business on clear, fair terms.
  • A landlord has sent a lease and you want a clear structure to compare it with.
  • You need to renew a lease and want to restate the rent, term and responsibilities.
How to fill it in
  1. Fill in landlord and tenant; your saved company details go into the tenant block. Add a guarantor if one is needed.
  2. Enter the address, floor area, permitted use and any fixtures that come with the premises.
  3. Set the start and end dates and decide on renewal or an early-termination right.
  4. Fill the rent schedule: one row per period with months and rent per month. Yearly and total rent are calculated.
  5. Add service charge, deposit, the yearly change, who handles repairs, and whether subletting is allowed.
  6. Pick the country, read its notes, then print the lease and the handover record for signature or download them as Word.
Common mistakes
  • Signing a long lease without checking whether your country gives the tenant a right to renew, or whether the contract can waive it.
  • Leaving repair duties vague, so that no one knows who pays for the roof, the heating or the air conditioning.
  • Skipping the handover record, so that damage at the end cannot be tied to the tenant or to wear.
  • Writing a rent increase that exceeds what local law allows.
  • In a country with a written-form rule, adding annexes or later changes that are not tied to the signed contract.
  • Relying on a deposit amount from a residential lease; business leases follow different limits.
Steps at a glance
  1. Fill in
  2. Check the preview
  3. Save as PDF, Word or Excel
Country versions

Pick the country you need. Each version uses the wording and layout commonly found there; a version marked “check with local advice” should be read by someone who knows the local rules before it is used.

  • International (XX): Written in English, Korean, Japanese, German
  • United States (US): Written in English – check with local advice
  • United Kingdom (GB): Written in English – check with local advice
  • Korea (KR): Written in Korean, English – check with local advice
  • Japan (JP): Written in Japanese, English – check with local advice
  • Germany (DE): Written in German, English – check with local advice

Designs

The same form in several designs. The fields and the wording stay the same; only the look changes.

  • Formal
  • Executive
  • Classic
  • Plain (black and white)
  • Minimal
  • Ledger
  • Modern
  • Compact
  • Side band
  • Warm
  • Boxed form
  • Banner

Your details fill it in

Fields that ask for your name, address or company details are filled from My details, so you do not type them again; you can still change any field for one form. Signed in, your details stay in your account; otherwise they stay in this browser only. A passport, identity or social security number is never saved.

Questions

Does the tenant have a right to stay or renew?
It depends on the country. Some give business tenants strong protection, such as a right to ask for renewal, which the lease cannot always take away. Others leave it to the contract. The country notes point to the main rule, and the form lets you write an option or automatic renewal where the contract decides.
How is the total rent calculated?
Each row of the rent schedule has a number of months and a monthly rent. The form multiplies them for the period amount, multiplies the monthly rent by twelve for the yearly rent, and adds the rows for the total over the whole term. The service charge is separate and not included in these totals.
How large can the deposit be?
There is often no fixed legal cap for business premises, unlike for homes, so the amount is a matter of negotiation. A common range is a few months of rent, but practice varies by country and by how risky the tenant is. The form records the amount and when it is returned; the country notes mention local rules where there are any.
Can I sign it electronically?
Some countries require a lease of a certain length to be signed on paper or with a particular kind of signature, and the rules differ. QuoteBill offers e-signing for contracts, but check what your country accepts for a lease before you rely on it.
Is this template legal advice?
No. It is a general template in plain language. A lease is a long commitment and local rules matter a great deal, so have a qualified adviser review it before you sign.
Is this form legal, tax or accounting advice?
No. It is a template: it gives you the usual structure and wording, not advice. Rules differ by country and case, so have someone qualified read anything that matters before you sign, send or file it.
Which countries and designs does it come in?
It comes in 6 country versions: International, United States, United Kingdom, Korea, Japan, and Germany. 12 designs.

Want it signed online instead? With E-Contracts you fill in the sample contract and send it by secure link for a simple electronic signature. Open the Lease of non-residential premises (office, studio, storage) sample contract

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A form is a template, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules differ by country and case.