How is the rent determined in a commercial lease agreement?

I am a small business owner looking to rent a space for my business. I am currently in negotiations with the landlord of a commercial property and we are discussing the terms of the lease agreement. We have reached a point where we need to discuss the rent and how it will be determined. I need to understand more about how rent is determined in commercial leases so that I can negotiate a fair and reasonable agreement.

N'kia N.

ContractsCounsel verified

Business Lawyer

Licensed in North Carolina

Free Consultation

In North Carolina, commercial rent is commonly calculated as a set dollar amount per square foot. This dollar amount is usually based on factors like location, age, condition, accessibility, and amenities. However, there is no requirement for rent to be determined this way. Unlike a residential lease agreement, the terms of a commercial lease agreement can be almost anything that the parties mutually agree to. As a word of caution, in North Carolina, commercial tenants do not have the same degree of legal protections as residential tenants. For just one example, a tenant who wishes to terminate a commercial lease early may be responsible for the entire remainder of the rent unless the lease agreement says otherwise.