Commercial and Residential Leases — Landlord/Tenant
A well-drafted lease is the best guarantee to a harmonious landlord/tenant relationship and the best insurance against a lawsuit.
Too often when we’re hired to represent a landlord or tenant in litigation, the dispute is caused by confusion over a poorly drafted lease. Landlords are often too willing to try and recycle a 20-year-old document or try and get by with a form they found online. Tenants are often ignorant of the pitfalls that lie ahead of them and will trust that a landlord knows what they’re doing when they draft the lease. In all instances, whether Residential or Commercial, both the Landlord and the Tenant need legal counsel to represent them in the negotiation of the lease. There are too many pitfalls, and even when the rent is only $2,000.00 a month, a $1,200.00 legal bill can go a long way to insuring a $24,000/yr investment.
Commercial Leases
The law in Connecticut is clear that a commercial lease is a contract between sophisticated parties and “buyer beware”. The issues that need to be addressed in a commercial lease are complicated and often the language in a lease can be obtuse to those not familiar with commercial lease terms. The lawyers at Russo & Rizio can help educate you and negotiate on your behalf with regards to:
- Rentable square footage v. usable square footage
- Personal guarantees v. “Good Guy” guarantees
- “Additional Rent” covering utilities, taxes and costs, how it is calculated, whether it should be capped, and the tenant’s right to audit
- Options to renew and whether the rent for the renewal is pre-determined
- Dispute resolution if the Landlord and Tenant should disagree.
Whether you are a Landlord or a Tenant, we can help negotiate a lease that you’ll understand and that will serve your best interests.
Residential Leases
Too often, residential Landlords and Tenants are all too willing to accept the lease provided by the Real Estate Agency. Agency leases tend to be “middle of the road” documents designed to serve either a Tenant or a Landlord. They often lack the “teeth” required to make it an effective document if the Landlord and Tenant disagree. Allow the Lawyers at Russo & Associates to help you make sure your residential lease protects your interests. Whether you’re a Landlord concerned about making sure you can recover your damages or a Tenant who wants to make sure the Landlord holds up his or her end of the bargain, we can help you negotiate a lease that serves your needs.
