40 Scenarios
Commercial Lease Scenarios
Real dollar exposure calculations for every commercial lease situation — from restaurants and retail to healthcare practices and franchises.
Food Beverage
Restaurant Lease Exposure
$455,000
Restaurant leases create $300,000+ in total exposure before you serve your first table.
Extreme Risk
Food Beverage
Bar and Nightclub Lease Exposure
$361,000
A bar lease at $6,000/month creates $361,000+ in exposure — before the liquor license costs a dime.
Extreme Risk
Retail
Retail Store Lease Exposure
$216,000
A $3,000/month retail lease on a 5-year term creates $135,000 in base rent exposure — plus everything else.
High Risk
Retail
Boutique Fashion Retail Lease
$282,000
A boutique at $4,000/month looks affordable until you calculate $282,000 in total exposure.
High Risk
Health Beauty
Salon and Spa Lease Exposure
$272,500
Salon and spa leases look routine until the $40,000 plumbing restoration bill arrives at move-out.
High Risk
Healthcare
Medical Office Lease Exposure
$661,000
A medical office lease at $8,000/month on a 10-year term creates over $500,000 in total exposure.
Extreme Risk
Healthcare
Dental Office Lease Exposure
$609,000
Dental leases regularly create $400,000-600,000 in exposure — and dentists often don't realize it until they want to sell.
Extreme Risk
Fitness
Gym and Fitness Studio Lease Exposure
$830,000
A gym lease at $10,000/month on a 10-year term creates $750,000+ in total exposure.
Extreme Risk
Professional Services
Law Office Lease Exposure
$350,000
A law office at $5,000/month creates $350,000 in exposure — and lawyers sign worse leases than their clients.
High Risk
Professional Services
Accounting Firm Lease Exposure
$279,000
Accounting firms have predictable revenue but underestimate the $279,000+ exposure in a standard office lease.
Moderate Risk
Tech Creative
Tech Startup Lease Exposure
$395,000
A startup's $8,000/month office lease creates $395,000 in exposure that survives a funding round going dry.
High Risk
Tech Creative
Coworking Space Lease Exposure
$930,000
Running a coworking space means a $15,000/month lease and $930,000 in exposure while your members pay month-to-month.
High Risk
Franchise
Franchise Lease Exposure
$612,000
Franchise leases average 10 years with unlimited personal guaranty — creating $612,000+ in exposure on a $4,000/month location.
Extreme Risk
Franchise
Franchise Food Lease Exposure
$936,000
A fast food franchise lease at $6,000/month on a 15-year term creates $900,000+ in total exposure.
Extreme Risk
Franchise
Franchise Service Business Lease
$310,000
Service franchises in 1,000-1,500 sq ft spaces still create $250,000+ in 10-year lease exposure.
High Risk
Childcare
Childcare and Daycare Lease Exposure
$607,000
Daycare leases at $4,000/month on 10-year terms create $607,000+ in exposure — and a licensing revocation ends everything.
Extreme Risk
Healthcare
Pharmacy Lease Exposure
$605,000
A pharmacy lease at $6,000/month creates $450,000+ in exposure — and a DEA license loss closes the business on day one.
Extreme Risk
Pet Services
Veterinary Clinic Lease Exposure
$544,000
Veterinary clinic leases at $5,000/month create $544,000+ in exposure — specialized build-out makes subletting almost impossible.
Extreme Risk
Auto Industrial
Auto Repair Shop Lease Exposure
$297,000
Auto repair shop leases at $4,000/month create $297,000+ in exposure — plus environmental liability that could dwarf the rent.
High Risk
Retail
Printing and Copy Shop Lease
$214,000
Print shop leases at $3,000/month seem manageable until industry revenue decline makes the $214,000 exposure catastrophic.
Moderate Risk
General
Your First Commercial Lease
$178,000
First-time commercial tenants sign leases with $178,000+ in hidden exposure because they don't know what to look for.
High Risk
General
Lease Renewal Negotiation
$332,000
Most tenants accept landlord renewal terms without negotiating — leaving $30,000-$100,000 on the table.
High Risk
General
Business Acquisition Lease Exposure
$502,000
When you buy a business, you often inherit a lease you didn't negotiate — including all its worst provisions.
Extreme Risk
General
Commercial Sublease Exposure
$178,000
When you sublease your commercial space, you remain fully liable for the master lease — your subtenant's failure is your problem.
High Risk
General
Commercial Lease Assignment
$287,000
Lease assignment transfers the lease to a new tenant — but your original guaranty may survive the transfer.
High Risk
Lease Types
Triple Net (NNN) Lease Exposure
$617,000
Your $5,000 NNN lease actually costs $7,000-$8,000/month — and the total exposure calculation most tenants never make.
Extreme Risk
Lease Types
Gross Lease Exposure
$395,000
Gross leases are simpler than NNN, but $6,000/month all-in still creates $395,000 in total exposure.
Moderate Risk
Lease Types
Modified Gross Lease Exposure
$378,500
Modified gross leases at $5,500/month look predictable — until you discover which expenses are 'net' and which are 'gross.'
High Risk
Retail
Short-Term Pop-Up Lease Exposure
$38,000
A 6-month pop-up lease at $3,000/month creates $38,000 in exposure — manageable, but not zero.
Low Risk
General
Month-to-Month Commercial Lease
$83,000
Month-to-month commercial leases give you flexibility but cost 20-40% more per month and create unexpected exposure.
Moderate Risk
General
Office Downsizing Mid-Lease
$273,000
When your business shrinks, your lease stays the same size — creating $273,000 in space you're paying for but not using.
High Risk
General
Retail to Remote
$317,000
Pivoting from retail to remote or digital doesn't end your lease — your $5,000/month obligation runs for 4 more years.
High Risk
General
Commercial Lease Default
$340,000
When you stop paying commercial rent, a $6,000/month lease with 3 years remaining becomes a $340,000 personal liability event.
Extreme Risk
General
Personal Guaranty Called
$187,000
When your personal guaranty is called, your savings, home equity, and wages are all at risk — and it happens fast.
Extreme Risk
General
Holdover Penalty Exposure
$45,000
Staying one day past lease expiration can trigger 150-200% rent — turning a $5,000/month lease into a $10,000/month obligation.
Moderate Risk
General
CAM Reconciliation Dispute
$121,800
CAM reconciliation bills of $10,000-$20,000 arrive in Q1 with no warning — and you owe them within 30 days.
High Risk
General
Lease Audit
Potential Recovery
Commercial lease audits recover an average of $15,000-$50,000 in overcharges — money you've already paid that you can get back.
High Risk
General
Commercial Security Deposit Dispute
$55,000
Commercial landlords routinely withhold security deposits — and there's no residential-style protection requiring itemized deductions.
Moderate Risk
General
Commercial Lease Early Exit
$250,000
Exiting a $7,000/month commercial lease with 2 years remaining costs $80,000-$250,000 — depending on how you negotiate.
High Risk
General
Building Foreclosure Mid-Lease
$235,000
When your landlord's building goes into foreclosure, your lease may be wiped out — even if you've been paying rent on time.
Extreme Risk