Tenant Series, Article 1: Don’t Sign Until You See the Fine Print—And Save Your Business from the Landmine

By Adam Widder

If you’ve ever leased space without understanding the hidden costs baked into your deal… you’re not alone. I’ve worked with dozens of business owners who got blindsided by their lease—and they didn’t even know it was happening until the budget started bleeding.

Here’s the kicker: the base rent isn’t the full cost. It’s the bait.

One company I advised—let’s call them BrightTech—signed a lease in what seemed like a solid industrial park. But three months in, they were drowning in unexpected CAM charges, inflated property taxes, and maintenance fees for “shared spaces” they didn’t even use. Total surprise? $18,000 in unbudgeted costs—every year.

Their lease was vague. The landlord? Distant. The breakdown? Buried in Exhibit C on page 19.

Here’s what we fixed: we helped BrightTech renegotiate with a new landlord—this time with full transparency. Detailed expense projections, CAM caps, and an annual reconciliation process they could actually understand.

If you can’t explain your lease to your CPA in 5 minutes or less, it’s too complex—and probably too costly.

What You Need to Know:

• Always ask for a breakdown of all expenses—before you sign.

• Push for a cap on controllable operating costs.

• Request 3 years of past expenses to see what’s “normal.”

• Get a broker or advisor who knows how to read between the legal lines.

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At Commercial Investors Group, we build leases that actually serve businesses. We cut out the noise. No hidden agendas. Just smart real estate, simplified.

Because here’s the truth: unclear costs don’t just kill your cash flow—they erode trust. And trust is the only thing more valuable than square footage.