Across the industrial market, it’s common for occupiers to underestimate just how long these lease processes can take, and how quickly uncertainty can turn into risk. As key dates draw closer, concerns begin to surface: Will we lose flexibility? Are our costs about to rise? What will our repair obligations look like?
Failing to review lease terms in time can mean losing your right to break early. Overlooking reinstatement and repair obligations can trigger inflated dilapidations claims, while late negotiations often leave occupiers with reduced leverage and higher rents.
Turning risk into opportunity
With multiple stakeholders, legal obligations, and operational considerations in play, lease events can feel like a source of pressure. But with the right preparation, occupiers can turn these high-risk deadlines into strategic opportunities, to reduce costs, improve space efficiency, and protect their long-term business goals.
Understanding where you are on the lease journey is the first step. Every stage, from early awareness and planning through to negotiation and renewal, brings its own decisions, risks, and opportunities. Starting conversations well in advance, ideally 18 to 24 months before a lease expiry, rent review, or break clause, creates time to explore every possible route.
This might mean renewing on more favourable terms, renegotiating to improve flexibility, reducing space to cut costs, or preparing to relocate entirely.
Early assessments of lease terms, property condition, and upcoming obligations can highlight opportunities to uncover savings and mitigate risks before they become costly problems. Reviewing your lease documentation ensures you don’t miss critical dates or break conditions. Conducting early building inspections or dilapidations assessments can also help forecast potential liabilities, giving you time to plan works or negotiate settlements on your terms.
Taking Control of Cost, Timing and Continuity
The earlier you understand your position, the more control you have, not just over cost, but also over timing and business continuity. Approaching lease events proactively allows you to make informed decisions that support your operational strategy, rather than being driven by deadlines or landlord demands.
To help occupiers visualise these stages and identify when to act, we’ve mapped out The Lease Journey, a step-by-step guide highlighting the key moments, risks, and decisions that shape every lease event.
Explore the journey below to see where you are, and what your next step should be.
