A commercial lease agreement template South Africa landlords can use to let shops, offices and warehouses without an agent.
Commercial Lease Agreement Documents Template South Africa - No agent involved
Summary: If you're a landlord who leases out commercial property then these Commercial Lease Agreement Template South Africa is for you.
The pack comprises of the following investment property documents:
What do you need to do to use the Commercial Lease Agreement Documents?
- Read the template documents to ensure that they suit your requirements. Make changes as required.
- Request your prospective tenant to complete the tenant application form before you consider signing a commercial lease agreement with them.
- Use the Commercial Lease Agreement to conclude a contract of Commercial lease with your tenant.
- If the Commercial lease is renewed, use the Renewal of Lease to record the renewal of the Commercial Lease.
What does the Commercial Lease Agreement Template consist of?
A commercial lease agreement is a written contract between a landlord and tenant for the lease of commercial property and is regulated by the Consumer Protection Act.
It is important to have a commercial lease agreement for several reasons:
- Firstly, in accordance with the Consumer Protection Act, commercial lease agreements outlines the terms and conditions of the commercial lease, which differ in certain aspects to those set out in a lease for Residential property; including the commercial lease term, monthly rent amount that a tenant pays, security deposit, and late fee. It also specifies the leased property, rental terms, square footage of the leased property, any leasehold improvements, instances of multiple tenants and sets out the rights and obligations of the tenant and landlord.
- Without a written lease agreement, there may be misunderstandings or disputes between the parties, thus the Commercial lease agreement template helps to protect the landlord and tenant incase a dispute arises between both parties .
- Secondly, a commercial lease agreement template provides a framework for the lease that can be customized to meet the needs of the parties. For example, if the leased property is a retail store in a shopping mall, the commercial lease agreement can include provisions for parking spaces for the tenants, supplemental forms, square feet of the shop the tenant is looking to rent, any hazardous materials, any insurance policy or materials that are additional insured by the landlord, any charges payable by the tenants, the monthly rent the tenant pays and provisions relating to other tenants or any other party in the mall.
- Thirdly, a commercial lease agreement can protect both the tenant and landlord by ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations such as the Consumer Protection Act. For instance, the lease agreement can specify the proportionate share of operating expenses, base rent and real estate taxes that the tenant is responsible for paying. It can also require the tenant to comply with hazardous materials and disability acts as well as setting out parking privileges.
- Fourthly, a commercial lease agreement provides a fixed period of time during which the tenant can use the leased premises for business purposes. The lease period can be for a fixed period, such as ten years, or for a renewal period. The tenant agrees to pay rent monthly or in some other agreed-upon time period. The lease agreement can be leased by a landlord to a tenant in their private capacity or under a company name.
- Finally, both the landlord and tenant sign the commercial lease agreement to indicate that both the tenant and landlord agree to rent on mutual acceptance of the lease terms such as rental amount, lease term, security deposit, any utility services, operating expenses, renewal period, real estate taxes, any late fee, parking spaces, any waivers by a tenant or landlord as it related to the property, among other things set out in the commercial lease agreement itself.
- A tenant may elect to seek legal advice before signing a commercial lease agreement. The tenant should review the lease terms carefully and understand their obligations and rights as well as their effective date in respects of the commercial lease.
- The tenant should also be aware of the termination date, early termination provisions, any leasehold improvements and giving written notice, security deposit and rental amount. The tenant must ensure that the landlord agrees to the rental terms of the commercial lease before the tenant signs the agreement providing written consent and the lease continues.
In summary, a commercial lease agreement is necessary for both the tenant and landlord to establish the basic terms of the lease, protect their interests, and comply with local laws and regulations. It is important to customize the lease agreement to meet the specific needs of the parties such as the base rent a tenant pays as a rental amount, any written consent needed by members of the company for business purposes, operating expenses, lease period, the security deposit paid by the tenant to the landlord, any written notice by either the landlord or tenants as it relates to the lease and public accommodation clauses among other clauses set out by the landlord or tenant within the commercial lease agreement.
The tenant and landlord may respectively seek legal advice before signing a Commercial lease agreement.
Governing law:
- Commercial lease agreements are governed by the Consumer Protection Act which protects the rights of a landlord and tenant along with certain provisions of the Land Act and Disabilities act having baring on lease terms as well
- Our Commercial lease agreement is fully drafted to comply with the provisions set out in the Consumer Protection Act as well as any and all other law that has bearing hereto.
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What this commercial lease agreement pack covers
Letting commercial property is not the same as letting a house. The tenant is a business, the lease usually runs for years rather than months, and the Consumer Protection Act treats the two very differently depending on the size of the tenant.
This commercial lease agreement pack gives you the documents for the whole cycle: screening the applicant, signing the lease, and dealing with what comes after.
Who this is for
Landlords and property owners letting shops, offices, warehouses or industrial units directly, without an agent handling the paperwork.
What you get
- Editable documents in Microsoft Word, with PDF copies
- Wording drafted and reviewed by a lawyer
- A tenant application form for screening the business before you commit
- The commercial lease agreement itself
- Instant download after purchase
The clauses worth getting right
- The escalation rate, and the date it kicks in each year
- Who carries rates, utilities and the operating costs of the building
- What the premises may be used for, and whether that matches the zoning
- Deposit and any suretyship from the business owner personally
- Reinstatement at the end of the lease, and what happens to fittings
Good to know
A commercial lease agreement is a template for you to adapt, not legal advice on your own letting. Where the tenant is a smaller business the Consumer Protection Act may apply to the lease, and long leases raise registration questions, so it is worth having an attorney review your final wording before signing.
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