When it comes to owning or managing a business, making any physical moves is intimidating to say the least. Regardless of if you’re opening your first office, expanding your business, or just moving out of your previous location, finding a good property, rate, and manager isn’t easy. Buffalo is the city of good neighbors, and there are plenty of places to look at office space, but how do you know when it’s a good move? Well, there are plenty of factors to consider beyond the look and feel of the place.
Today on the blog, we’re going to be focusing on some of the things you should know before signing a new office lease!
Lease Length / Flexibility
The obvious first thing to note is having a full understanding of the lease length and any potential flexibility associated with it. You should seek to understand the minimum lease term, options for if and when you need to break the lease, and what the options are to potentially extend your lease. If you are a growing entity, it could be worth exploring the potential of flexibility of expansion and/or using other available units on the property. You’ll want to aim to balance lower long-term costs with flexibility based on how much your business could change in the next 3-5 years.
Here are a few specific questions to ask regarding lease length and flexibility:
- What are the minimum and maximum lease terms available?
- Are you offering any flexibility on the lease length?
- Is this a fixed-term lease, or is there a possibility for a month-to-month agreement?
- Is there a “break clause” allowing us to terminate the lease early, and what are the penalties?
Renewals and Extensions
- What is the right of first refusal if we want to expand into adjacent spaces?
- Will we have an option to renew at the end of the term, and how is the rent calculated for that renewal?
- What is the process and timeline for notifying the landlord that we want to renew?
Rent and Penalties
- Are there any free rent periods offered at the start of the lease?
- How does the rent change if we request a shorter lease duration?
- What is the penalty if we need to vacate early, or what is the holdover rate?
Tenant Improvement Allowances & Concessions
TI allowances are pre-negotiated, landlord-provided funds per square foot to offset tenant construction costs for renovating commercial spaces. This means you’re going to want to talk to the owner/landlord/manager about what can or cannot be done to the space. Typically, TI is treated as a liability on the tenant’s balance sheet and amortized over the lease term, but every scenario is different.
Some concession situations may involve turnkey buildouts, which means the changes will be done prior to moving in. Free rent, reduced rent periods, and other concessions may be made based on the deal you make with the building owner. Whoever you work with, they should have clear, outlined, and easy-to-understand plans and structure regarding TI allowances.
Here are a few good example questions to ask when talking about TI allowance:
TI Allowance Amount & Type
- What is the specific TI allowance ($ per square foot) or total dollar amount offered?
- Is this a “turn-key” buildout (landlord handles construction) or a “cash” allowance (you manage construction and get reimbursed)?
- Will the landlord allow unused TI funds to be applied toward rent abatement or other costs? (e.g., furniture, cabling)
- What is the average TI allowance for similar spaces in this area/market?
Scope of Work and Coverage
- What specific improvements are covered? (Confirm it includes “hard costs” like HVAC, electrical, partitioning, walls, and flooring)
- Are “soft costs” covered? (e.g., architectural fees, design fees, permitting, and project management)
- If construction costs exceed the allowance, who covers the overages?
- Can the funds be used for IT infrastructure, cabling, or security systems? (Often excluded, so it is crucial to ask)
Parking & Snow Removal Clauses
When you’re leasing a new office space in Amherst NY, you should always clarify whether or not snow removal is included in the rent. Parking can be impacted by snow as well, but you should always make sure to ask about any parking arrangements. Do you have dedicated spaces or is the whole lot shared? Do you have guaranteed spaces? Buffalo get’s a lot of snow, and your team, and potentially your clients, deserve to know they have a good, safe parking spot, with a clear pathway to the building.
Here are a few questions you may want to consider regarding snow removal and parking when planning an office lease:
Snow Removal
- What is the “trigger depth” for snow removal? In Buffalo, 1.5 to 2 inches is standard, but you should ensure they plow promptly to allow access.
- Are sidewalks, walkways, and emergency exits included? Sometimes plowing is covered, but shoveling walkways, ADA entrances, and stairs is considered an add-on.
- What is the response time after a storm? Ask if they are available 24/7 and if they offer pre-storm salting.
- Who handles ice treatment? Specifically ask if salting is included in the base agreement or charged extra per ton/pound.
- What is the communication plan? Ask how you will be informed when crews are arriving and if they will return to clean up after the city plow covers your entrance again.
- Who is liable for slip-and-fall incidents? Clarify if the landlord or the hired contractor is responsible for safety.
Parking & Lot Management
- Are parking spots dedicated or shared? Ensure you have dedicated spots if needed, or understand how shared parking works.
- Where is the snow stored? Confirm that snow piles do not take up usable parking spaces and are removed from the property if they become too large.
- Are there parking restrictions? Ask about restrictions during snow emergencies or overnight parking rules
Hopefully, this blog helped someone out there looking for an office space in Amherst NY! We own several properties around WNY, but last summer (2025), we purchased Alberta-Sheridan Office Park on the corner of Alberta Dr. and Sheridan in Amherst NY! We have spaced available for small, medium, large, medical, ready to rent, and retail! Get in touch with us ASAP so we can show you some of our available offices!