Clause// Findings of Fact
of commercial leases contain at least one clause that favors the landlord
// NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Survey, 2024
average hidden cost per lease over the full term — buried in CAM caps, escalation floors, and holdover penalties
// Tenant Advisory Group, Aggregate Case Data
median time a business owner spends reviewing a lease before signing
// Internal intake survey, 2023–2025
// Clause Law PLLC
You read the highlights.
We read the lease.
Commercial leases are written by landlord attorneys. We level the table — reviewing, redlining, and negotiating every clause before you put pen to paper.
Clause handles
Common Area Maintenance — §8.3(b)
The CAM Escalation Trap
Uncapped CAM with a blank exhibit is an open-ended obligation. The landlord can pass through roof replacements, HVAC upgrades, and management fees — and the tenant has no ceiling.
// Names and amounts altered for confidentiality
// Clause Intervention
What we changed. What it cost them. What they kept.
"as determined solely by Landlord" → "as mutually agreed in writing"
3% annual CAM increase cap, admin fee capped at 5%, capital expenditures excluded
Blank Exhibit C with a defined list of includable and excludable expenses
Right to audit CAM reconciliation within 12 months of year-end statement
// Result
saved over 5-year term vs. original uncapped structure
Personal Guarantee — §19.1 & Exhibit G
The Unlimited Personal Guarantee
An unlimited, undischargeable personal guarantee means the founder's personal assets — home, savings, everything — back the entire lease. A single bad year can follow them for decades.
// Names and amounts altered for confidentiality
// Clause Intervention
What we changed. What it cost them. What they kept.
"without limitation" → capped at 12 months' base rent ($186,000)
Burn-down provision: guarantee reduces by 20% each year of on-time payment
Good-guy clause: guarantee terminates 60 days after written notice + surrender
Bankruptcy non-dischargeability language (not enforceable; removed for clarity)
// Result
personal exposure reduced from uncapped to 12-month cap with annual burn-down
Landlord's Termination Right — §24.7 (Renewal Rider, p.47)
The Hidden Demolition Rider
Buried on page 47 of the renewal rider: the landlord can end the lease in 120 days for any reason they call "redevelopment" — and owe the tenant nothing. For a restaurant that just spent $400K on build-out, this is catastrophic.
// Names and amounts altered for confidentiality
// Clause Intervention
What we changed. What it cost them. What they kept.
"in its sole discretion" → requires bona fide building permit and 18-month notice minimum
Relocation assistance: 6 months' base rent + documented FF&E replacement costs
Recapture right: tenant can terminate without penalty if demolition notice is issued
Clause removed entirely from renewal term; applies only to initial term if at all
// Result
build-out investment protected; demolition clause removed from renewal term
// The Lease Is Handled
You signed on your terms.
Not theirs.
Every client who worked with Clause walked into that conference room with a redlined document. They knew exactly what changed, why it changed, and what it was worth. That's the only way to sign.
of leases reviewed had at least one flagged clause
in aggregate tenant savings across 2024–2025 cases
average turnaround from intake to redlined draft
clients who reported landlord refusal to negotiate redlines
Upload Your Lease for a Free Risk Summary
Higher-intent path — for when you're ready to go deeper
Upload your commercial lease (PDF or Word) and describe your situation in a sentence or two. We'll return a plain-language Risk Summary identifying the top 3–5 clauses that need attention — at no charge.
Submitting a lease does not create an attorney-client relationship. Risk summaries are returned within 2 business days. Confidential under applicable professional rules.