A commercial lease should support the business that will operate inside the premises. Attractive rent does not resolve questions about permitted use, fit-out approvals, utilities, or the authority of the person offering the space. Review those issues before committing to a move-in date, especially when the business depends on additional permits or alterations.

Check the premises and the landlord

Match the unit, floor area, access routes, storage, parking, and shared facilities to a clear plan. Verify the landlord’s rights and authority, or the basis for any proposed sublease. Identify existing occupation or restrictions that could interfere with use. Ask which records have actually been checked rather than relying on a statement that the building has other tenants doing similar work.

Confirm the intended activity and fit-out

Describe the proposed business specifically. Discuss planning, fire-safety, building-management, and other requirements with qualified local advisers where relevant. Landlord consent to alterations does not necessarily replace an administrative approval. Allocate responsibility for drawings, applications, works, access, inspections, and delay. Record the condition in which the space will be delivered and what must happen before rent or other charges begin.

Calculate the whole occupancy cost

Read the provisions for rent, deposits, service charges, utilities, taxes, adjustments, and invoicing together. State the area or other basis used for calculations and examine rent-free or fit-out periods carefully. Ask how disputed charges will be handled. A comparison based only on headline monthly rent can miss obligations that become significant during operation or at the end of the term.

Plan for repairs and interruptions

Allocate maintenance responsibilities by system and type of work, and describe how problems will be reported and addressed. Discuss access for repairs and the treatment of periods when the premises cannot be used as expected. Keep emergency contacts and insurance arrangements clear. Do not assume a repair problem automatically permits rent withholding or early departure; obtain advice on the actual lease and circumstances.

Read the end of the lease before signing

Review renewal, notice, early termination, reinstatement, removal of improvements, key return, and deposit reconciliation. Clarify local filing requirements as well: the Civil Code distinguishes lease validity from failure to complete prescribed registration formalities. That distinction is not a reason to ignore administrative duties. Prepare a move-out record that can show the condition of the premises and which obligations have been completed.

Your working file

What to prepare

  • Verify rights, signing authority, and the exact leased area.
  • Confirm whether the intended activity and alterations are feasible.
  • Model rent and additional charges over the proposed term.
  • Review repairs, notices, reinstatement, and deposit return.

Reference point: PRC Civil Code, lease-contract provisions, including Article 706. Planning, safety, and filing requirements require current local review. Reviewed September 30, 2026.