By the time most businesses call a fitout contractor, the lease is already signed — which means several of the biggest cost and timeline factors are already locked in. If you're still negotiating your lease, there are a handful of clauses worth confirming first.
Base building condition and make-good obligations
Confirm exactly what condition the tenancy is being handed over in (cold shell, warm shell, or existing fitout) and — just as importantly — what condition you're required to hand it back in at lease end. Make good obligations written into the lease now directly affect what you're required to remove or restore later. We've covered this in detail in our make good obligations guide.
Incentive and fitout contribution clauses
Many commercial leases include a landlord contribution toward fitout costs, sometimes structured as a rent-free period instead of a direct payment. Understand exactly what's offered, how it's paid (upfront vs. reimbursed), and whether it's contingent on using a landlord-nominated contractor or meeting specific building standards.
Access hours and loading dock/lift booking rules
Every commercial building has its own rules on after-hours access, loading dock bookings and lift usage for tradespeople and materials — and these rules directly affect how fast a fitout can physically happen. A building with a two-week lift booking lead time changes your program in a way that's easy to underestimate before you've dealt with the building manager directly.
Data and power capacity
Confirm the base building's data and power capacity against your actual headcount and equipment needs before signing. Upgrading base building services after lease signing is far more expensive and time-consuming than negotiating adequate capacity into the lease terms upfront.
Timeframes for landlord approval of fitout plans
Most commercial leases require landlord approval of fitout plans before work starts — but the timeframe for that approval varies enormously between buildings. Confirm this timeframe in writing and build it into your overall project timeline, rather than assuming approval will be immediate.
Once your lease terms are locked in, our office fitouts team can help you plan a fitout program that works within your specific building's access rules, approval timeframes and base building condition.
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