Lease Language Unlocked—Decode the Legal Jargon Before You Sign

If your eyes glaze over when reading a commercial lease, you’re not alone. Most leases

are written in what I call “legalese on steroids”—terms crafted to protect the drafter, not

inform the reader. But buried in all that legal lingo are the real rules of engagement:

what you’re on the hook for, what you’re allowed to do, and what happens when things

go sideways.

One of our tenants—a growing IT firm—almost walked into a nightmare. Their lease

included a clause that seemed harmless at first: “Tenant responsible for all building

systems maintenance.” But the landlord’s definition of “building systems” included the

roof, HVAC, elevator, and fire suppression. That would’ve made them liable for nearly

$200K in infrastructure they didn’t own and didn’t control.

Luckily, they brought us in before signing. We rewrote the clause to clearly define

responsibilities—and saved them a financial and legal headache.

Common Lease Terms You MUST Understand:

Gross vs. Triple Net (NNN): Are you paying just base rent—or all the landlord’s

expenses too?

Indemnification Clauses: Are you protecting the landlord from things that aren’t your

fault?

Assignment & Subletting: Can you transfer your lease if you need to exit?

Default & Cure Periods: How much time do you have to fix a breach before penalties

kick in?

The language matters. And the stakes are real.

At Commercial Investors Group, we believe in plain-language leasing. We walk tenants

through every section. We explain what each term means in business English—not law

school rhetoric.

And here’s my advice: even if you’ve signed leases before, never assume they’re the

same. Each landlord has a different set of rules. And one wrong assumption can cost

you dearly.

So before you sign, slow down. Read every line. Ask every question. And never sign a

lease that you can’t explain to your bookkeeper in plain English.