What Commercial Lease Financial Information does a tenant need to provide when leasing commercial space? Being an active commercial real estate sales and leasing broker in the Inland Empire, my clients always ask " what financial information will I need to provide when I lease commercial property? "
A commercial real estate tenant must typically provide :
1) A lease application
2) 2 to 3 years of tax returns for the leasing entity
3) A current year to date profit and loss statement
4) Last fiscal year financial statement
5) 2 to 3 months of bank statements
6) Business and or personal credit report (depending on the tenant type)
7) Balance Sheet
Why does a tenant need to provide financial information?
A commercial property landlord is actually providing credit to the tenant in the form of use of their property for a specific time period. In return, the tenant is promising to pay a specific amount of money over the term of the lease.
The Landlord needs to financially evaluate the tenant and make sure that they have the capacity and good credit history to be assured the tenant can and will make the lease payments.
Leasing laws and regulations are different in all states and countries, always check state and local laws and consult qualified legal professionals.
When should a tenant provide financial information for a property they want to lease?
The tenant should start gathering their information right away as soon as they know they want to lease space and deliver it when it looks like both parties are going to be in agreement on terms.
They should review the information with their broker / agent so the agent can give the tenant feedback on how the information looks.
Larger credit tenants or national tenants are usually not a problem for qualification.
Smaller companies and sole proprietors should pre-review the financial information with an experienced broker for feedback since the data will eventually need to be submitted.
A commercial real estate professional with experience in commercial leasing should be able to provide useful feedback.
How should a tenant provide financial information for a property they want to lease?
Usually the information is hand delivered to the landlord or via password protected files, the potential tenant should always make sure they omit account numbers on bank statements and other sensitive data.
All offers to lease should include a confidentiality and non disclosure agreement.
Conclusion
The financial information the tenant provides will give the landlord a financial snapshot and history of the financial condition of the tenant. It will include financial statements and tax returns. It is always recommended to work with experienced real estate professionals that can add value and advise you on your commercial lease. Learn more about our leasing services here.
