What are Tenants Responsible For in Commercial Spaces?

2/2/2022 (Permalink)

As the tenant of commercial office space, it’s important to know what you’re responsible for when it comes to cleaning and maintaining the leased space. While we always recommend checking your rental agreement and even checking with your landlord or their property manager, there are some things that you can usually count on being responsible for.

Let’s look first at what you must do as a tenant. When renting commercial space, it’s your responsibility to keep nonstructural parts of your space clean and functioning. That usually includes keeping the walls and floors clean, fixing any lighting issues, and cleaning areas like offices, kitchens, and bathrooms. It’s also your responsibility to take out the garbage regularly and to be a good neighbor to other businesses sharing the space. Any activities that disrupt other tenants or harm the space will concern the landlord and could lead to your eviction.  

What shouldn’t you do? As a tenant, you should not need to clean common areas like stairways and elevators. You also should not be responsible for fixing structural damages like heating, air conditioning, plumbing, electrical wiring, or maintenance of any machinery or equipment that was included in the rented space. Such responsibilities fall to the property owner. However, if you notice any structural issues, you should contact the landlord immediately, so they can quickly remedy the issue. 

If you need help keeping your commercial office space safe and clean, contact your local SERVPRO franchise. Whether you need regular cleaning and maintenance or you’ve had a disaster that needs to be cleaned up, we can help.