8 Lease Agreement Mistakes That Trigger Lawsuits
You trigger lawsuits when you sign a lease with conflicting commencement and rent dates. You also invite trouble when “Premises” or “Operating Expenses” aren’t clearly defined, or when CAM language quietly includes capital costs or admin fees. You get burned by compounded rent escalations and wrong CPI base months. Misstated rentable square footage can also inflate your pro rata share and spark disputes. Add vague repair and HVAC duties, thin insurance, or missing additional‑insured endorsements. If default terms and notice/cure periods are unclear, the paperwork becomes the weapon—keep going to see fixes. Clauses To Audit In A Commercial Lease (Before Signing) Before you sign, audit the lease like you’re already in a dispute. If operating expenses or CAM charges get misallocated, you’ll be the one funding the landlord’s “mistakes.” Lock down excluded items like capital costs, overhead, debt service, and marketing. Cap any admin fee to defined categories. Demand audit rights with a cle...
