Maryland Commercial Lease Agreement Template

A Maryland Commercial Lease Agreement is fundamentally a reciprocal contract between you and your property owner. This covenant grants you the privilege to utilize a property for your commerce activities, for a predetermined duration and cost. It's customized to the distinct operations your enterprise plans to execute there. Ensure you comprehend every component of it prior to affixing your signature.

What are the related laws for Commercial Lease Agreements in Maryland?

Title 2A of the Commercial Law Article in the local Code explicitly addresses leases. This encompasses various processes, definitions, and stipulations that oversee the establishment, alteration, execution, and violation of lease contracts.

As detailed in some segments of the article:

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Commercial Lease Agreement
Buyer Triple Net - Commercial Lease Agreement

What's included in a Maryland Commercial Lease Agreement?

Here are some key components that are typically included in a Maryland Commercial Lease Agreement:

  1. Permitted Uses
  2. Term and Option to Extend
  3. Repairs and Maintenance
  4. Alterations
  5. Insurance
  6. Events of Default
  7. Holdover

How to write a Commercial Lease Agreement

As an entrepreneur, you might be intimidated by the intricate legal terms at hand. Yet, equipped with a lucid map and the best advice, you can efficiently construct your lease contract. Let's delve into the vital elements of a commercial lease agreement, and how to modify it as per your requirements - ponder upon this as your amicable, uncomplicated guide through the realm of commercial leases.

1. Permitted Uses

Certainly, the "Permitted Uses" provision instructs you on the utilization of the leased premises. It lucidly delineates the approved endeavors. These embrace industrial undertakings, administrative tasks, warehousing, dispersion, and the fabrication and dispersal of goods.

It's elemental to precisely catalog all of your proposed commerce ventures here. Such precision aids in sidestepping potential juridical complications and assures the effective allotment of resources. Incorporate every minutiae to ward off unanticipated eventualities. This comprehensive comprehension propels your venture forward.

Industrial and light manufacturing, warehousing, office, distribution, and assembly, including designing, manufacturing and distributing branded merchandise and promotional products, including all activities incident or ancillary thereto and all other lawful uses and purposes.

2. Term and Option to Extend

(a) This pertains to the lease period and elongations. It commences on the Inception Date and culminates on the Termination Date. You have the option to prolong it for two additional biennial stretches under identical stipulations, although rent might escalate. Submit a written notice to the property owner 30 days prior to the term conclusion for extensions.

(b) The "Lease Duration" represents both your original lease term and any subsequent prolongations.

Definite lease stipulations are vital for strategic enterprise planning and operations, including any potential extensions.

(a) The initial term of this Lease will commence on the Effective Date and expire on the Expiration Date. The Tenant may extend the Term of this Lease for [two] additional [two]-year extension term(s), on all the same terms and conditions (except for Rent, which will increase during extension Terms as provided below) contained in this Lease, by notifying the Landlord in writing of the Tenant’s election to do so not less than 30 days before the expiration date of the then-current Term, as the case may be.

(b) The initial term and any applicable extension term are referred to in this Lease as the “Term.”

3. Repairs and Maintenance

The "Maintenance and Restoration" provision elaborates on the party responsible for repairs. It encompasses both interior and exterior difficulties, such as defective pipework or impaired masonry. The expense befalls the lessor, not you.

If a restoration is not promptly addressed, you have the liberty to manage the repair activities and deduct it from your lease payments. Always chronicle these situations for subsequential reference. This provision is significant, as it explains restoration duties and safeguards you from unforeseen costs.

From and after the Effective Date, and for the remainder of the Term, the Landlord shall perform ordinary maintenance and repair of the interior of the improvements on the Premises. In addition, the Landlord shall, at its own cost and expense without reimbursement by the Tenant, keep and maintain in good condition and repair, and make all necessary repairs and replacements to, the exterior walls, building slabs, foundations, structural parts and components, parking lots, gutters, downspouts, roof, roof membrane and coverings and any other part, component or system on the exterior of the Premises. The Landlord shall, at its own cost and expense without reimbursement by the Tenant, keep and maintain in good condition and repair, and make all necessary repairs and replacements to the sprinkler system, mechanical, HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems of the Premises. If the Landlord fails to perform any repair or replacement required to be made by the Landlord in this Lease, and the Landlord fails to cure such failure within 15 days after receipt of a written demand from the Tenant (or immediately, in the case of emergency repairs, including loss of heating and air conditioning), then the Tenant may make such repair or replacement and the Landlord shall reimburse the Tenant for the cost thereof. If the Landlord fails to pay such amount, then the Tenant may offset against the Rent due hereunder the amount so expended.

4. Alterations

"Modifications" delineates your privileges to adjust the leased area. You may execute minor changes without property owner approval, but significant modifications become the landlord's possession. Feel at liberty to extract personal belongings such as shelving or equipment, provided it doesn't harm the property. Comprehending this clause assists in averting disagreements and enables you to efficiently strategize your enterprise arrangement.

The Tenant may, at its own cost and expense and in a good workmanlike manner, make such alterations, additions, or improvements or erect, remove, or alter such partitions, or erect such racks, shelves, bins, machinery, furniture, fixtures, trade fixtures, equipment, and other personal property as it may deem advisable, without the consent of the Landlord. All fixtures and permanent alterations, additions, improvements, and partitions erected by the Tenant will be and remain the property of the Landlord during the Term, and will be abandoned by the Tenant at the expiration of this Lease. All racks, shelves, bins, machinery, furniture, equipment, and other personal property located in the Premises as of the Effective Date or otherwise installed by the Tenant may be removed by the Tenant at any time if the Tenant so elects. All such removals and restoration shall be accomplished so as not to damage the primary structure or structural qualities of the buildings and other improvements situated on the Premises.

5. Insurance

The "Coverage" provision secures both lessee and lessor. As the tenant, you necessitate acquiring property and liability coverage, designating the landlord as supplementary insured. The landlord is responsible for insurance against damages to the premises.

'Waivers of subrogation' prevent insurers from pursuing compensation from the counterparty subsequent to a loss. Your insurance provider should inform the landlord 30 days prior to policy termination. Grasping these conditions fortifies your enterprise financially.

(a) At all times during the Term, the Tenant shall maintain, at its sole cost and expense, policies of insurance containing the following insurance coverages (which policies shall name the Landlord as an additional insured):

(1) Property insurance with premiums paid in advance insuring the Tenant’s property using the standard Special Causes of Loss Form or equivalent for the full replacement value. The foregoing is referred to in this Lease as “Property Insurance.”

(2) Commercial general liability insurance with respect to the Premises in amounts not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate limit using current ISO forms or equivalent.

(b) The Landlord shall obtain and keep in force during the Term of this Lease a policy or policies of insurance covering loss or damage to the Premises, in the amount of the full replacement value thereof, as the same may exist from time to time, but in no event less than the total amount required by lenders having liens on the Premises, against all perils included within the classification of fire, extended coverage, vandalism, malicious mischief, flood (in the event same is required by a lender having a lien on the Property), and special extended perils ("all risk" as such term is used in the insurance industry). Such insurance must provide for a payment of loss thereunder to the Landlord or to the holder of mortgages or deeds of trust on the Premises.

(c) The policies required by this section must provide for standard waivers of any right of subrogation that the insurer of such party may acquire against the other party to this Lease, for losses that are actually insured against, even if the loss results from a negligent act or omission. The Tenant’s insurance company must provide the Landlord with a certificate of insurance on form ACORD-27 (for Property Insurance required to be carried under this Lease), or its equivalent, and ACORD-25 (for liability insurance required to be carried under this Lease), or its equivalent, which provides that the insurance may not be cancelled without giving the named insured at least 30 days’ prior written notice (or at least ten days’ written notice of cancellation in the event of the non-payment of premium). The Tenant may carry any required insurance under a blanket policy if that policy complies with the requirements of this Lease.

6. Events of Default

The "Incidences of Breach" provision delineates activities deemed as lease infringements. Standard happenings encompass the absence of rental payments, encountering financial difficulties, or neglecting to abide by lease stipulations. Remain conscious of this subsection and circumvent these snags to preserve an amicable relationship with your property owner and ensure your business operation's fluidity.

The following events will be deemed to be Events of Default by the Tenant under this Lease:
(1) The Tenant fails to pay any installment of the Rent hereby reserved when due, or any other payment or reimbursement to the Landlord required under this Lease when due, and such failure continues for a period of 30 days after the Tenant’s receipt of written notice of such nonpayment;
(2) The Tenant becomes insolvent, or makes a transfer in fraud of creditors, or makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors;
(3) The Tenant files a bankruptcy petition or Tenant is adjudged bankrupt or insolvent in proceedings filed against the Tenant;
(4) A receiver or trustee is appointed for all or substantially all of the assets of the Tenant; and
(5) The Tenant fails to comply with any term, provision, or covenant of this Lease (other than the foregoing in this section 18), and does not cure such failure within 30 days after written notice thereof to the Tenant, or such longer period as may be necessary to cure such default provided the Tenant has promptly commenced curing such default and is diligently proceeding to obtain such cure.

7. Holdover

The "Continuance" stipulation pertains to moments when you exceed your lease duration. If you fail to vacate by the culmination of your lease phase, you'll remit 125% of the prevailing lease for each continuance month. Ascertain your comprehension of the expenditure of exceeding your tenure and formulate your withdrawal strategy accordingly.

If the Tenant holds over after the expiration of the Term and does not surrender the Premises prior to the expiration of the Term, then for each such month that the Tenant is holding over, the Tenant shall pay to Landlord 125% of the Rent due under this Lease for each month.

What happens when a Commercial Lease Agreement expires?

Upon the termination of a commercial lease contract, a variety of outcomes could transpire. Here are some excellent sources that sketch potential eventualities:

What are the penalties for breaking Commercial Lease Agreements?

Absolutely, repercussions for violating a commercial lease agreement can differ, but regularly, there are a few prevalent penalties:

As the particulars of penalties may differ grounded on the lease agreement, it's vital to meticulously scrutinize the lease document to comprehend the precise stipulations and conditions tied to early dissolution.