5 Key points to check before you rent a commercial property

A commercial property is more than a venue for your business. It is a mark of your status and reputation in the industry. While a trusted property consultant could facilitate a hassle-free transaction, there are some points you ought to confirm as a tenant. After all, nobody likes to be surprised after investing scores of money, effort and time into deciding the best commercial premises. Here’s a quick checklist to run by before finalizing a property for your commercial venture:

Check for deviations in property:

Ask your landlord for an approved building plan and check for inconsistencies between the building and the plan. Developers may have built additional space after procuring the Occupation Certificate and only a physical verification can reveal deviations from the plan.

Look for efficiency:

Most people ignore this factor while renting a space for their business. Efficiency is the actual carpet area of the space offered. Higher floor efficiency would mean that the tenant can accommodate more number of seats and thereby save money in the monthly outflow. Therefore, you need to pay attention to efficiency in space, keeping in mind the benefits it would have on your business.

Avoid encroachments:

Developers/existing tenants often encroach upon common areas outside the office by converting it to a security desk or a visitor discussion room. Make sure that you are not party to such unauthorised use of common areas and more importantly, such areas are not factored into the chargeable area.

Fire and safety norms:

Remember to check if the property adheres to fire and safety norms such as fire exits as per the building bye laws. You could also be proactive here and check if the building ramps are wide enough to allow a fire engine in case of a fire.

Toilets as per NBC norms:

The National Building Code of India (NBC) has prescribed norms for all constructions, including toilets. You need to ensure that the toilets within the floor adhere to this code and are in accordance with your business. Also, the office must have more number of toilets if your employee strength is high.

Carry out due diligence on the shortlisted project before taking the leap. Avoid unnecessary disruptions in your business and trouble with the civic authorities by running a thorough check on the points mentioned above.

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