Office Lease Agreement

Drafts an execution-ready commercial office lease balancing landlord and tenant interests across NNN, full-service gross, and modified gross structures.

Prerequisites

Gather before drafting:

Parties — legal names, entity types, addresses for landlord and tenant
Premises — building address, suite number, rentable SF, legal description
Term — commencement date, expiration date, renewal options
Rent structure — lease type (NNN / gross / modified gross), base rent with escalations
Operating expenses — pro-rata share method, inclusions/exclusions, caps/stops, CAM
Security deposit — amount, interest-bearing status
TI scope — work letter, construction allowance, delivery conditions
Insurance — CGL limits, property coverage requirements
Guaranty — personal or entity guaranty if applicable

Article Framework

| Art. | Subject | Key Contents | |------|---------|-------------| | 1 | Preamble & Definitions | Parties, effective date, recitals, defined terms | | 2 | Premises & Term | Space description, common area rights, commencement/expiration, delivery conditions, rent abatement during buildout | | 3 | Base Rent | Rent schedule table (year/monthly/annual), escalation methodology, payment terms | | 4 | Additional Rent & Expenses | Pro-rata share, operating expense pass-throughs, tax escalations, CAM, audit rights | | 5 | Security Deposit | Amount, holding requirements, return conditions | | 6 | Permitted Use | Use grant, compliance, prohibited uses, exclusive-use carve-outs | | 7 | Maintenance & Repairs | Landlord vs. tenant responsibility split | | 8 | Alterations & Improvements | Approval process, code compliance, ownership at termination, restoration | | 9 | Services | HVAC (business hours), janitorial, electric, water/sewer, elevator, after-hours charges | | 10 | Insurance & Indemnity | Tenant CGL/property/workers' comp, mutual waiver of subrogation, indemnification | | 11 | Assignment & Subletting | Consent standard, recapture right, profit sharing, affiliate/merger carve-outs | | 12 | Default & Remedies | Defaults, cure periods, remedies, self-help provisions | | 13 | Subordination & Estoppel | SNDA, estoppel certificates | | 14 | Casualty & Condemnation | Rent abatement, restoration, termination triggers | | 15 | Environmental | Hazmat prohibition (office supplies excepted), tenant indemnity | | 16 | Force Majeure | Performance excuse for events beyond reasonable control | | 17 | General Provisions | Notices, governing law, entire agreement, severability, quiet enjoyment, holdover | | 18 | Execution | Signature blocks, authority representations, notary blocks if recordable |

Rent Schedule Format

| Lease Year | Period | Monthly Base Rent | Annual Base Rent | |------------|--------|-------------------|------------------| | 1 | [Start] – [End] | $X,XXX.XX | $XX,XXX.XX | | 2 | [Start] – [End] | $X,XXX.XX | $XX,XXX.XX |

Maintenance Responsibility Split

| Item | Landlord | Tenant | |------|----------|--------| | Structure, roof, foundation, exterior walls | X | | | Common areas | X | | | HVAC systems | Specify | Specify | | Interior walls, floor coverings, fixtures | | X | | Plumbing/electrical within premises | | X | | Plate glass, windows, doors | | X |

Required Exhibits

[ ] Exhibit A — Site plan / floor plan
[ ] Exhibit B — Building rules and regulations
[ ] Exhibit C — Work letter / TI agreement (if applicable)
[ ] Exhibit D — Guaranty of lease (if applicable)
[ ] Exhibit E — Commencement date confirmation letter

Drafting Rules

Lease type drives expenses: NNN passes through all operating expenses, taxes, and insurance; gross bundles into rent; modified gross splits specific categories. Confirm type before drafting expense provisions.
Insurance defaults: $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate CGL; landlord as additional insured. Adjust for premises size and use.
No self-negligence indemnity: Do not require a party to indemnify against its own negligence — unenforceable in many U.S. jurisdictions.
Assignment consent: "Not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed" is market standard.
Cure periods: Non-monetary defaults: 30 days with extension for diligent cure. Monetary defaults: 5–10 days after written notice.
Jurisdiction flags: Mark unlawful detainer procedures, self-help remedies, recording/notary requirements with [CONFIRM JURISDICTION].
Defined terms: Capitalize consistently; collect in Article 1 or define inline at first use.
Balanced drafting: Neutral tone protecting both parties unless instructed otherwise.
Table of contents: Include if lease exceeds 10 pages.