LEASES
Leases are like seatbelts. They don’t prevent accidents, but they do allow you to walk away from one. Owning and leasing real estate exposes landlords to a wide variety of financial risks. Well drafted leases protect landlords from financial harm when those risks become reality. Most landlords will, at some point, wonder what their lease says about an issue they really weren’t thinking about at lease signing. I provide my clients the following services to improve the odds the answer to that question is a positive one.
LEASE FORMS
Small Batch Law will develop your lease template or update your lease form.
Landlords miss their best opportunity to protect themselves from financial risk when they use generic, abbreviated or outdated lease forms. A well drafted lease will be specific to the landlord, premises and tenant, clearly address common landlord risks, and align with the landlord’s insurance program. Investing in a lease template is a cost effective way of managing your risk without incurring excessive legal costs with each lease negotiation.
LEASE NEGOTIATIONS
Small Batch Law will simplify your lease negotiations.
Using a letter of intent to establish essential lease terms often, frustratingly, increases the time and cost of lease negotiations. Confusion over what was meant or what was left unsaid is usually the culprit. Landlords can avoid this costly misstep by using standard LOI terms which accurately reflect their lease templates. This limits lease negotiations to terms not covered by the LOI which can often be resolved quickly by the landlord and its attorney.
TENANT BUILD OUT
Small Batch Law protects landlords from financial risk during the buildout of leased space.
The buildout of a tenant’s space exposes the landlord to financial risks unique to construction. This is true regardless of whether the landlord or the tenant is responsible for the buildout. Landlords can limit this exposure by aligning the terms of the lease with the architectural, construction, and insurance contracts. This can be a daunting task, but almost always starts with well drafted lease terms that can be incorporated into architectural and construction agreements.
INSURANCE
Small Batch Law protects landlords from bodily injury and property damage claims.
Bodily injury and property damage and bodily injury claims against landlords are common and costly. These claim can come from your tenant’s customers and employees or just the general public. The terms of both your lease and the applicable insurance policies will determine whether or not you will incur out of pocket costs related to the claim. A well drafted lease will address this topic and allocate much of this risk to other parties
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CONTACT US
Small Batch Law, LLC PO Box 620377, Middleton, WI 53562 608.575.9930 •
Hours: 9a-4p Monday-Thursday; 9a-Noon Friday
GETTING STARTED
When you contact Small Batch Law, I will need your name, contact info and business name, the names of other owners in your business, the identities of other parties involved, a brief description of your project and any deadlines. This information will help me determine if I can assist you. You should avoid sending me any private, sensitive or confidential information because our initial exchange does not create an attorney-client relationship between us. If I can assist, I will send you an engagement letter describing what services I will provide and the associated fee. Our work together after this point will be as attorney and client.