Leasing
Leasing a space that works for your business.
On a lease, I work for the tenant. I find space from every brokerage, compare it on real cost and negotiate the terms your business needs. Leases usually take three to nine months from search to move-in, longer with a build-out. On most leases the landlord pays my fee.
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Where should we start?
See the full list
Leasing
- I’m paying too much rent
- My lease is up for renewal
- I’ve outgrown my space
- I have more space than I need
- I need to move my business
- My landlord isn’t holding up their end
- My building is being redeveloped
- I’m opening my first location
- My location isn’t working
- I’m selling my business and the lease has to go with it
- I need office space
- I need retail or restaurant space
- I need industrial or warehouse space
- I want a small space or a short lease
Start here
Where are you at with your space?
Each page covers the options, the traps and the first steps.
- 01
My lease is up for renewal.
Find out if the renewal number is fair before you sign for another five years.
See the plan - 02
I’ve outgrown my space.
More staff, more stock, more customers, same four walls.
See the plan - 03
I need to move.
Lease ending, building redeveloping, or the space just doesn’t fit anymore.
See the plan - 04
I’m opening my first location.
First shop, studio, café, clinic or office. Micro leases welcome.
See the plan - 05
I’m paying too much rent.
Base rent, CAM bills or escalations that don’t add up.
See the plan - 06
I have more space than I need.
Hybrid work, a slower year, or a team that shrank.
See the plan - 07
My building is being redeveloped.
A rezoning sign, a demolition clause or a notice from your landlord.
See the plan - 08
My landlord isn’t holding up their end.
Repairs, surprise bills, slow consents or redevelopment notices.
See the plan - 09
My location isn’t working.
Foot traffic, visibility or the neighbours aren’t what you were promised.
See the plan - 10
I’m selling and need to hand off my lease.
The lease side of a business sale: assignment, consent and release.
See the plan - 11
I need a small space, short term.
A small space is a smart way to start.
See the plan - 12
I need office space.
From a few desks in Gastown to a full floor downtown, I help office tenants find the right space and negotiate a lease that fits how they actually…
See the plan
How deals start
What makes real estate transactions happen?
Most transactions start with a problem. I love to find the solutions. Maybe your space isn’t a good fit, maybe the economics don’t fit where you are at today.
Both parties have different goals, but they can both leave happy, and that’s what I work to make happen.
Problem
Maybe your lease is ending or the space doesn’t fit anymore. Maybe the rent or the debt has gone up. Maybe the building needs work.
Change
Maybe the business is growing or needs a new location. Maybe a partner wants out. Maybe it’s an estate, retirement or a new plan for what you own.
Opportunity
Maybe the right space just came up. Maybe a building you want hit the market. Maybe selling frees up money for something else.
By type of space
Office, retail, industrial or something small.
What to watch for in each kind of space.
- 01
Office space for lease in Vancouver
From a few desks in Gastown to a full floor downtown, I help office tenants find the right space and…
See the plan - 02
Retail and restaurant space in Vancouver
In retail, the location does a lot of the selling for you, so the lease matters more than most. I look at a…
See the plan - 03
Industrial and warehouse space
Industrial space in Metro Vancouver is tight, so the details get decided fast. I help tenants check the specs…
See the plan - 04
Micro leases for first-time entrepreneurs
A small space is a smart way to start.
See the plan - +
A bit of everything
Most leases are a bit of a few of these. Tell me what’s going on and I can help you sort it out.
Give me a shout
Why tenants
On a lease, I work for the tenant.
When you call the number on a For Lease sign, you reach the landlord’s agent. They’re often lovely people, and their job is to get the best deal for the landlord. Having your own agent usually costs you nothing extra, because on most leases the landlord pays the leasing fee either way.
Before we start, you’ll get a short BC disclosure form that says who I represent, so it’s clear from day one.
| Question | Listing agent | Your own agent |
|---|---|---|
| Who they work for | The landlord | You |
| Which spaces you see | That landlord’s, or their brokerage’s listings | Any suitable space from any brokerage, plus some that aren’t advertised yet |
| Comparing buildings | Not their job | Side by side on real cost: load factor, additional rent, incentives |
| Landlords competing for you | Rarely | Two or three written proposals at the same time |
| Who pays the agent | The landlord | Usually the landlord too, set out in writing through Coldwell Banker Prestige Realty |
| Your renewal dates | Up to you to remember | Tracked, with a call well before they arrive |
Worth knowing
The expensive surprises, and how I head them off
The ones I see most, and how to catch them early.
The riskA renewal notice deadline quietly passes, and your option to renew goes with it.
The fixI find the deadline on day one, put it in writing and in my calendar, and start well before it.
The riskYour lease ends with nothing signed, and you slide into holdover rent that can be far higher than today’s.
The fixWe start 12 to 18 months out, so you have time to choose.
The riskYou sign a personal guarantee you didn’t need, or one with no limit.
The fixI negotiate the guarantee down where the landlord will allow it: a cap, a time limit or a release later.
The riskA landlord refuses consent to assign, and your business sale falls apart.
The fixI read the assignment clause before a buyer is chosen and send the landlord a complete package early.
The riskYou pay for “rentable” area, including hallways and lobbies, that you can’t actually use.
The fixI measure the real cost per usable square foot, so you compare spaces on what you get.
The riskBuyers walk away because the books or the lease weren’t ready.
The fixWe get both ready before a buyer ever sees the business.
Before your lease ends is when I’d start looking. Twelve at the latest.
Where a lot of renewal notice deadlines sit. Some leases set them even earlier.
An example load factor. It turns 2,000 sf you use into 2,300 sf you pay for.
What the first call and the renewal check cost you. Coffee’s on me, too.
Timing
A lease, working backwards from the day it ends.
Typical pacing for a small or mid-size space.
- 18 to 15 months
Read the lease
Find the renewal notice deadline. Set needs and budget.
- 15 to 12 months
Look around
Market survey and tours, and an early read on your landlord.
- 12 to 9 months
Get proposals
Two or three landlords, including your own, in writing.
- 9 to 6 months
Negotiate
Offer to lease, conditions, your lawyer on the lease.
- 6 to 0 months
Build and move
Permits, build-out, keys. Or a signed renewal and done.
- After
Stay on it
Your critical dates in my calendar for next time.
Lease expiry countdown
When should you start? Pop in your lease end date.
Stays on your device. Nothing is sent anywhere.
The rule of thumb: start 12 to 18 months before your lease ends. Renewal notice deadlines are often 6 to 12 months before the end, and they’re the dates people miss.
Free, no obligation
The lease renewal check
If your lease ends in the next 6 to 18 months, I can read your renewal terms, compare your rent with the market and tell you where you stand.
- Your renewal notice deadline, in writing, so it doesn’t sneak past
- How your renewal rent gets set, and whether that clause helps or hurts you
- What similar spaces nearby rent for, compared like with like
- Your real cost today, including additional rent and load factor
- Two or three things worth asking your landlord for
- Whether moving is worth pricing out
No cost and no obligation. If you want me to negotiate the renewal after that, we agree on how I’m paid first, in writing, through Coldwell Banker Prestige Realty.
Ask for the free renewal check
Tell me a little about the lease. I’ll reply and ask for a copy of the renewal clause by email.
Inside the industry
How leasing actually works, from the other side of the table.
How landlords think, who pays commissions, what’s negotiable and what a lease really costs. The stuff people usually learn after they’ve signed.
How landlords and listing agents think
Landlords aren’t villains, and their agents aren’t either. They have clear incentives, though, and once you can see them, a lot of lease negotiation starts to make sense.
- Landlords
Who owns your building, and why it changes your negotiation
- Process
The deal cycle, from the first call to the keys
- Money
How commissions work, and who pays
- Negotiation
What’s negotiable in a commercial lease
- Costs
The hidden costs in a commercial lease
- Timing
Timing your lease: start 12 to 18 months out
Learn
Guides and checklists
Plain-language explainers with BC examples. Read them before you sign anything.
- Guide
Load factor explained
Two offices with the same desks and the same rent per foot can cost thousands a year apart. Load factor is usually why.
Read more - Guide
Net effective rent: how to compare lease offers fairly
The offer with the lowest rent isn’t always the cheapest. Net effective rent folds in free rent and allowances so you can compare offers on one…
Read more - Guide
What triple net really costs
“Net” sounds like less. In a lease it usually means more on top. Here’s what each lease type passes to you, and how to budget for it.
Read more - Guide
The lease renewal checklist
Print this, or keep it open while you read your lease. It’s the same checklist I use for my free renewal check.
Read more - Guide
The offer to lease: where the real deal gets made
The offer to lease is a short document with long consequences. Most of the important terms are settled here, before the full lease is drafted.
Read more - Guide
Assignment and sublease: why your name can stay on the lease
Handing your lease to someone else doesn’t always hand over the responsibility. Here’s the difference between assigning and subletting, and how to…
Read more
Leasing across Metro Vancouver and the North Shore: Downtown, Gastown, Mount Pleasant, Broadway, North Shore, Burnaby and Richmond.
Working with me
Why work with me
I go and find the options
Space that isn’t advertised yet, landlords who want a tenant like you, and a short list drawn from every brokerage’s listings.
I learn the business first
How it makes money, what it needs from its space and what the next five years look like. The real estate should fit the business.
Advertising and communications since 2010
I’ve worked in advertising and communications since 2010. Your requirement, or your business, gets presented with real strategy.
Calm when things heat up
Over 10 years as a volunteer firefighter and first responder. When a deal starts to feel like it’s on fire, I’m the steady one in the room.
Confidential by default
Nothing about you or your business gets shared without your say-so.
You can trust me
I tell you the truth about your deal, even when it isn’t what you hoped to hear. If I say I’ll do something, I do it.
Quick answers
Questions people ask me
Short answers to the things I get asked most. If yours isn’t here, give me a shout.
Who pays a tenant’s agent on a commercial lease?
On most commercial leases the landlord pays the leasing fee, and part of it goes to the brokerage that represents the tenant. If a landlord won’t pay, we agree on the fee up front, in writing, through Coldwell Banker Prestige Realty.
When should I start looking before my lease ends?
For most small and mid-size spaces, 12 to 18 months before the lease ends. Check your renewal notice deadline first, because it can be 6 to 12 months before the end of the lease.
Can you show me spaces listed by other brokerages?
Yes. I show you any suitable space, whoever lists it, plus space I hear about before it’s advertised.
Do you help with very small spaces?
Yes. Micro leases, studios, kiosks and first shops are a big part of what I do.
Go deeper
If you’re looking for more details
The leasing process, start to finish
- A first call. What the business does, how many people, what the space has to do, your budget and your date.
- A search across every brokerage. Listed space, sublease space and buildings I know have space coming up.
- Tours. Usually five to ten spaces, then a shortlist of two or three.
- Proposals. I ask landlords for written proposals and put them side by side on real cost.
- The offer to lease. Rent, term, free rent, allowance, landlord’s work and conditions. This is where most of the negotiating happens.
- Conditions. Your lawyer, financing if you need it, permits, and the landlord’s review of you.
- The lease. Your lawyer reviews it against the offer.
- Build-out and move. Permits, contractors, then the keys.
How long it usually takes
| Space | From first call to keys |
|---|---|
| Small office, move-in ready | 1 to 3 months |
| Office needing a build-out | 4 to 9 months |
| Retail or restaurant with a kitchen | 6 to 12 months or more |
| Industrial | 3 to 9 months, depending on what’s available |
Typical estimates from my own deals, not rules. Your lease, the property and the market set the real timeline.
These are typical estimates, not official figures. Permits and construction are usually the slow part. The City of Vancouver asks you to apply for an occupancy permit at least three weeks before you move in, so start early.
Common mistakes I see
- Calling the number on the sign first. That agent works for the landlord.
- Comparing spaces on base rent alone, without the additional rent and the load factor.
- Leaving the renewal option and the demolition clause until the lease stage, when they are hard to change.
- Signing a personal guarantee with no limit.
- Starting the search three months before the current lease ends.
What to have ready before you tour
- Headcount now and in two or three years
- Must-haves: loading, venting, power, parking, hours, signage
- Your budget per month, all in
- Two or three years of financial statements, or a business plan if you’re new
- Your current lease, if you have one
Run the numbers
- Total occupancy costThe advertised rent is only part of what a commercial space costs.
- Space size estimatorA rough answer: most offices need 150 to 250 usable square feet per person, restaurants 30 to 40 per seat including the kitchen, and warehouses 25 to 35 per floor pallet position.
- Lease renewal deadline countdownMost commercial leases with a renewal option need written notice by a set date, often 6 to 12 months before the lease ends.
Next step
Tell me what’s going on with your space.
Fifteen minutes is usually enough to work out what you should do first. If I’m not the right person for it, I’ll tell you and point you to someone who is.