Commercial leases have become anything but standard forms. In fact, it is common to find provisions which seek to transfer more of the business risk of real estate ownership from the landlord to the tenant, and more control of the leased space from the tenant to the landlord.

Some commonly appearing provisions include:

• Mandatory tenant relocation within the building without compensation
• Waiver of tenant insurance subrogation rights
• Mutual hold harmless provisions
• Granting the landlord arbitrary power and absolute discretion in all decision-making

In addition, franchise agreements generally have specific provisions which affect and are affected by your commercial premises lease. For instance, often conflicts appear between the landlord's permitted signage and color-scheme specifications and those required by the franchisor.

Sometimes, commercial lease provisions can have limited impact upon the tenant if dealt with through negotiation and handled properly. You should enlist the services of a qualified attorney who understands how a commercial landlord-tenant dispute can affect your franchised business relationship. Contact us to see how we can safeguard your rights while seeking to avoid or resolve a landlord-tenant dispute.