Office lease checklist: clauses to review before signing

The monthly rent is only the starting point when comparing offices. The total cost, permitted activities, length of commitment, exit conditions and fit-out obligations can matter just as much. Request the draft lease, its schedules and an itemised quotation before making a commitment.

This is a practical commercial checklist. Ask a qualified lawyer, accountant or relevant specialist to assess the legal, tax and accounting implications of your particular agreement.

Check the property and permitted use

Confirm the address, floor, exact space and facilities included. Compare the plan with the area used for billing. Make sure the proposed use describes your actual activities: office work, client meetings, training, document storage or a showroom element where relevant.

Ask about signage, building access hours, visitors, IT equipment and any restrictions affecting your work. A space looking suitable during a viewing does not establish that every intended activity has been agreed. Record important permissions in the lease or an appropriate schedule.

Separate the lease dates and exit conditions

Identify the initial term, handover date and rent commencement date. If work must happen before occupation, clarify how delays affect each date.

Read the renewal procedure separately. Is renewal automatic, subject to negotiation or an option with defined conditions? What notice is needed, and how will the next period's rent be set?

For early termination, ask when the tenant can leave, the notice required and any costs or deposit consequences. Also review the notification and remedy process if either party fails to meet its obligations. Do not rely on a general understanding that terms can be changed later.

Distinguish the deposit, advance rent and incentives

For each upfront amount, record its purpose, payment date and conditions of use. Ask how the deposit is held, when it may be used, whether it must be replenished and what is needed for its return at the end.

If a rent-free period, temporary discount or fit-out contribution is offered, document its start date and conditions. Clarify what happens if handover or works are delayed. A verbal incentive is difficult to compare with a fully documented offer.

Understand rent adjustments and currency

Ask for the complete adjustment mechanism: the reference used, calculation, timing and any limits. Where the quoted currency differs from the invoicing or payment currency, clarify the conversion rule.

The useful question is not simply whether the rent can change, but how the revised amount would appear on an invoice. Separate fixed costs from variable ones when comparing offers.

Request a breakdown of additional charges

Ask which services are included and which are billed separately:

• building maintenance and common-area services;
• utilities, metering and allocation methods;
• air conditioning outside standard hours;
• parking, visitors and access cards;
• security, reception and common-area cleaning;
• administration charges and extraordinary works.

For each charge, check whether it is fixed, estimated or variable, who invoices it and whether there are reconciliations or a process for querying it. Relevant historic bills may help if the landlord can provide them, but the calculation method still needs to be clear. See also our guide to office relocation costs.

Agree fit-out and reinstatement responsibilities

Clarify which alterations are accepted, who approves them and what documentation is needed before work starts. This may include partitions, cabling, signage, access control or lighting changes.

Record who owns improvements, what can be removed and what must be restored when you leave. Photographs, plans and an agreed description of the initial condition make the discussion more specific. Check that the time between handover and occupation accommodates the work required.

Discuss flexibility before signing

If your team may grow or shrink, ask about additional space, partial surrender, subletting, assignment or use by an affiliated company. Establish which options require consent and on what terms. Treat these as points to agree rather than assumed rights.

Prepare a documented handover

Record the space and facilities delivered, keys and access cards, meter readings, equipment, visible condition and known defects. Include dated photographs and agreed repair deadlines where appropriate.

Test the features essential to your work: access, sockets, connectivity and climate control. Involve competent technical colleagues or specialists where the space has particular requirements.

Start with available offices in Bucharest. Share your area requirement, team size, target move date and total budget so that viewings and commercial discussions cover comparable options.