Evaluating a commercial lease as a tenant starts with understanding exactly what type of lease you're signing — NNN, gross, or modified gross — since this determines what expenses beyond base rent you'll be responsible for, and dramatically affects your true total occupancy cost, not just the headline rent figure. A lower base rent on a NNN lease can end up costing more overall than a higher gross lease rent once taxes, insurance, and maintenance pass-throughs are factored in. Rent escalation clauses matter significantly for longer-term leases — most commercial leases include scheduled rent increases, either fixed percentage bumps or tied to an index like CPI, and understanding the total cost trajectory over the full lease term, not just the starting rent, is essential for accurate budgeting, especially for a business planning to occupy the space for many years. Term length and renewal options deserve close attention. A shorter initial term offers more flexibility but less rate certainty, while a longer term locks in current rates but reduces flexibility if your business's space needs change. Renewal options, if included, should specify the rate or rate formula for the renewal period, since a renewal option without clear rate terms gives the tenant less real protection than it might appear to on the surface. Exit and assignment/subletting rights are also worth reviewing carefully — understanding what happens if your business needs to downsize, relocate, or close before the lease term ends, and whether you have the right to sublet or assign the space to another tenant, can significantly affect your risk exposure. Given how much of a lease's true cost and risk lives in the details rather than the headline terms, having a commercial real estate attorney or experienced broker review the lease before signing is standard practice, not an unnecessary precaution.