Despite what you've been told, there is no standard lease You've heard it already: "This is our standard lease--sign it." But often, you can negotiate what you need. And to do that, you'll need insight into the rules. Armed with Negotiate the Best Lease for Your Business, you'll find the advice and strategies you need when negotiating with an experienced landlord. This practical handbook explains how to: analyze your space needs find the ideal location understand the landlord's rent calculations learn how to negotiate your tenant improvement allowance (TIA) make sense of common area maintenance allocation suggest alternatives to hefty security deposits allocate the responsibility and cost of fixing up your space avoid costly code compliance and clean-ups, and save your lease if you can't live up to it now and then. The 3rd edition provides the latest strategies for working with brokers and lawyers.

Author Biography

Nolo's Executive Editor, Janet Portman oversees editorial work on all Nolo books, articles, and websites. She specializes in residential and commercial landlord/tenant law, legal issues related to courts, and criminal law. She is the author or a coauthor of Every Landlord's Legal Guide, Every Landlord's Guide to Finding Great Tenants, First-Time Landlord: Your Guide to Renting Out a Single-Family Home, Every Tenant's Legal Guide, Renters' Rights, Leases & Rental Agreements, The California Landlord's Law Book: Rights and Responsibilities, and California Tenants' Rights. Portman received undergraduate and graduate degrees from Stanford University and a law degree from Santa Clara University School of Law. Before joining Nolo in 1994, she practiced law as a public defender.