Retail Lease Agreement

Retail Lease Agreement

Drafts a balanced retail lease for shopping center or commercial property tenancies covering financial, operational, and protective provisions for both landlord and tenant.

Prerequisites

1. Party information — legal names, entity types, notice addresses for Landlord and Tenant
2. Premises description — unit number, address, center name, square footage (usable vs. GLA)
3. Lease term — commencement trigger (execution / delivery / opening), expiration, free-rent periods
4. Rent structure — base rent, escalation type, percentage rent rate and breakpoint
5. Tenant improvements — delivery condition, TI allowance amount, construction timeline
6. Negotiated deal points — exclusive use scope, radius restriction distance, CAM cap, merchants' association

Output Structure

Draft sections in order. Populate from deal terms only — do not invent figures.

1. Parties & Premises

• Legal names, entity type, notice addresses
• Premises: unit, address, center name, SF basis (usable / GLA), included common areas

2. Lease Term & Commencement

• Start trigger, expiration date
• Rent abatement (within term or extends term — specify)
• Landlord delivery deadline; Tenant opening deadline

3. Base Rent & Escalations

Payment: due 1st of month; remittance address/account; late fee and grace period.

4. Percentage Rent

• Rate: __% of Gross Sales
• Natural breakpoint = Base Rent ÷ Rate (or negotiated fixed breakpoint — specify which)
• Calculation period: monthly / quarterly / annual
• Reporting: within __ days after each period; annual certified statement
• Landlord audit rights: __ days notice; Tenant maintains records __ years

Gross Sales — Include: all revenues from business in/on/from Premises (cash, credit, layaway, online orders fulfilled from Premises, gift card redemptions, vending/kiosk)

Gross Sales — Exclude: returns/refunds, sales tax remitted, employee discounts (cap __%), insurance proceeds for damaged/stolen goods, fixture/equipment sales not in ordinary course

5. Additional Rent (Triple-Net Pass-Throughs)

Reconciliation: annual statement within __ days of year-end; Tenant audit right on __ days notice.

Tenant's Own Insurance (Tenant's sole cost):

• CGL: $__M per occurrence / $__M aggregate
• Property/contents: replacement value
• Business interruption: __ months

6. Permitted Use & Continuous Operation

• Permitted Use: exact description of products/services and trade name — no broad categories
• Continuous Operation: operate during all hours center is open to public
• Dark store remedy: percentage rent adjustment / termination right / liquidated damages — specify
• Permitted closures: casualty restoration, force majeure, remodeling with Landlord approval (max __ days)

7. Premises Delivery & Tenant Improvements

Delivery Condition: As-is / Broom clean / Vanilla box (HVAC, electrical, plumbing stubbed)

TI Allowance:

Construction: Licensed/insured contractors; Landlord-approved plans; all permits and ADA compliance; completion __ days after delivery; open for business __ days after delivery. Delay carve-outs: force majeure and Landlord-caused delays (excusable); all others unexcused.

8. Signage

• Exterior, window, and illuminated signage requires prior written Landlord approval
• Comply with center signage criteria, local zoning, and design guidelines
• Tenant bears all fabrication, installation, maintenance, and removal costs

9. Exclusive Use & Radius Restriction

Exclusive Use (if negotiated):

Radius Restriction (if negotiated):

10. Default & Remedies

Landlord remedies: termination; re-entry/repossession; reletting on Tenant's account; damages = unpaid rent + reletting costs + unamortized TI + PV of remaining rent less reletting proceeds.

Verify remedies comply with applicable state landlord-tenant law. Do not include unenforceable penalty provisions. [VERIFY]

11. Standard Commercial Provisions

• Assignment/subletting: Landlord consent required; reasonable criteria
• Maintenance: Tenant → interior; Landlord → structure, roof, common areas
• Indemnification: mutual, based on respective negligence/willful misconduct
• Casualty/condemnation: restoration obligations and termination thresholds
• SNDA (subordination, non-disturbance, attornment)
• Estoppel certificates: deliver within __ days of request
• Merchants' association: dues $__ initial; adjustment mechanism __
• Dispute resolution: Litigation / Arbitration (AAA Commercial Rules)
• Governing law: State of __

12. Signature Blocks

• Authorized signatories with title and date for each party
• Corporate authority recitals for entity parties
• Notarization / witness lines if required by state law or for recording

Guidelines

• Gross Sales definition is the most heavily negotiated provision — flag online/omnichannel sales attribution ambiguities for client review
• CAM exclusions: confirm whether management fees are capped (commonly 10–15% of CAM) and whether capital replacements are excluded or amortized
• Continuous operation may be unenforceable as specific performance in some jurisdictions — consider liquidated damages alternative [VERIFY]
• ADA compliance responsibility must be allocated explicitly (common area vs. Premises interior)
• TI disbursements: confirm lien waiver requirements comply with state mechanics' lien statutes [VERIFY]
• Percentage rent breakpoints: distinguish natural (Base Rent ÷ Rate) from artificial (negotiated fixed) — document which applies
• Tag jurisdiction-specific citations with [VERIFY] when accuracy is uncertain