Kansas Commercial Lease Agreement Template




Last Updated:

A Kansas Commercial Lease Agreement is fundamentally a mutually obligatory contract between you and your lessor. This commitment grants you the privilege to occupy a premise for your business activities, for a predetermined duration and cost. It's customized to the explicit activities your enterprise aims to execute on-site. Ensure that you comprehend each section of it prior to affixing your signature.

What are the related laws for Commercial Lease Agreements in Kansas?

Chapter 84, Article 2A of the Kansas Uniform Commercial Code specifically addresses leases. This encompasses various procedures, definitions, and provisions that regulate the creation, alteration, execution, and violation of lease agreements.

As described in some sections of the article:

  • Section 84-2A-103 sets forth definitions, enumerating diverse terms associated with lease contracts and their corresponding meanings.
  • Section 84-2A-219 deals with risk of loss situations, explaining when and under what circumstances the risk of loss from goods transpires.
  • Section 84-2A-506 establishes the statute of limitations for resolving lease contract disputes. It notes that parties can shorten the limitations period to a minimum of one year.

Laws — Chapter 84, Article 2a: Kansas Uniform Commercial Code

 

What's included in a Kansas Commercial Lease Agreement?

Here are some key components that are typically included in a Kansas Commercial Lease Agreement:

  1. Permitted Uses
  2. Term and Option to Extend
  3. Repairs and Maintenance
  4. Alterations
  5. Insurance
  6. Events of Default
  7. Holdover

How to write a Commercial Lease Agreement

As an enterprise proprietor, you might feel overwhelmed by the intricate legal language involved. Nonetheless, with a lucid blueprint and accurate direction, you can assuredly craft your lease contract. Let's delve into the foundations of a commercial lease agreement and how to adapt it to your requisites - deem this as your amicable, unambiguous directive to piloting the domain of commercial leases.

1. Permitted Uses

The "Authorized Activities" provision instructs you on the appropriate utilization of the rented property. It succinctly details the sanctioned activities. These comprise industrial operations, administrative tasks, warehousing, circulation, and production and delivery of goods.

It's vital to precisely catalog all your planned business undertakings in this section. This exactness helps fend off potential legal complications and secures effective allotment of resources. Provide comprehensive information to preclude unforeseen situations. This comprehension keeps your enterprise aligned.

Industrial and light manufacturing, warehousing, office, distribution, and assembly, including designing, manufacturing and distributing branded merchandise and promotional products, including all activities incident or ancillary thereto and all other lawful uses and purposes.

2. Term and Option to Extend

(a) This pertains to the lease duration and prolongations. It commences on the Inception Date and concludes on the Termination Date. You have the option to lengthen it for two additional two-year spans under identical terms, but the rent might escalate. Provide a written notification to the property owner 30 days prior to the term's conclusion to prolong.

(b) "Term" encompasses both your initial lease period and any subsequent extensions.

Unambiguous lease terms are vital for business strategizing and functioning, as well as for potential prolongations.

(a)    The initial term of this Lease will commence on the Effective Date and expire on the Expiration Date. The Tenant may extend the Term of this Lease for [two] additional [two]-year extension term(s), on all the same terms and conditions (except for Rent, which will increase during extension Terms as provided below) contained in this Lease, by notifying the Landlord in writing of the Tenant’s election to do so not less than 30 days before the expiration date of the then-current Term, as the case may be.


(b)    The initial term and any applicable extension term are referred to in this Lease as the “Term.”

3. Repairs and Maintenance

The "Maintenance and Repairs" provision delineates who oversees restorations. It encompasses both interior and exterior concerns, such as defective piping or impaired masonry. The expense is borne by the landlord, not the tenant.

If a repair isn't tackled promptly, you can manage the repair labor and deduct it from your rental payment. Consistently record these occurrences for later reference. This stipulation is indispensable, as it specifies restoration obligations and safeguards you from unanticipated expenditures.

From and after the Effective Date, and for the remainder of the Term, the Landlord shall perform ordinary maintenance and repair of the interior of the improvements on the Premises. In addition, the Landlord shall, at its own cost and expense without reimbursement by the Tenant, keep and maintain in good condition and repair, and make all necessary repairs and replacements to, the exterior walls, building slabs, foundations, structural parts and components, parking lots, gutters, downspouts, roof, roof membrane and coverings and any other part, component or system on the exterior of the Premises. The Landlord shall, at its own cost and expense without reimbursement by the Tenant, keep and maintain in good condition and repair, and make all necessary repairs and replacements to the sprinkler system, mechanical, HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems of the Premises. If the Landlord fails to perform any repair or replacement required to be made by the Landlord in this Lease, and the Landlord fails to cure such failure within 15 days after receipt of a written demand from the Tenant (or immediately, in the case of emergency repairs, including loss of heating and air conditioning), then the Tenant may make such repair or replacement and the Landlord shall reimburse the Tenant for the cost thereof. If the Landlord fails to pay such amount, then the Tenant may offset against the Rent due hereunder the amount so expended.

4. Alterations

"Modifications" outlines your entitlements to adjust the leased vicinity. You can implement variations without landlord's approval, but substantial changes become the property of the landlord. You're at liberty to extract personal assets like racking or equipment as long as it doesn't inflict harm on the property. Grasping this provision can avert disagreements and aid you in strategizing your business arrangement efficiently.

The Tenant may, at its own cost and expense and in a good workmanlike manner, make such alterations, additions, or improvements or erect, remove, or alter such partitions, or erect such racks, shelves, bins, machinery, furniture, fixtures, trade fixtures, equipment, and other personal property as it may deem advisable, without the consent of the Landlord. All fixtures and permanent alterations, additions, improvements, and partitions erected by the Tenant will be and remain the property of the Landlord during the Term, and will be abandoned by the Tenant at the expiration of this Lease. All racks, shelves, bins, machinery, furniture, equipment, and other personal property located in the Premises as of the Effective Date or otherwise installed by the Tenant may be removed by the Tenant at any time if the Tenant so elects. All such removals and restoration shall be accomplished so as not to damage the primary structure or structural qualities of the buildings and other improvements situated on the Premises.

5. Insurance

The "Coverage" stipulation safeguards both lessee and lessor. As the lessee, you necessitate assets and liability indemnification, identifying the lessor as supplementary insured. The lessor fronts insurance for impairment to the property.

'Renunciations of subrogation' inhibit insurance firms from seeking compensation from the opposing party post-adversity. Your insurance provider should alert the lessor 30 days ahead of termination. Comprehending these stipulations secures your venture economically.

(a)    At all times during the Term, the Tenant shall maintain, at its sole cost and expense, policies of insurance containing the following insurance coverages (which policies shall name the Landlord as an additional insured):

 

(1)    Property insurance with premiums paid in advance insuring the Tenant’s property using the standard Special Causes of Loss Form or equivalent for the full replacement value. The foregoing is referred to in this Lease as “Property Insurance.”

4

(2)    Commercial general liability insurance with respect to the Premises in amounts not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate limit using current ISO forms or equivalent.

 

(b)    The Landlord shall obtain and keep in force during the Term of this Lease a policy or policies of insurance covering loss or damage to the Premises, in the amount of the full replacement value thereof, as the same may exist from time to time, but in no event less than the total amount required by lenders having liens on the Premises, against all perils included within the classification of fire, extended coverage, vandalism, malicious mischief, flood (in the event same is required by a lender having a lien on the Property), and special extended perils ("all risk" as such term is used in the insurance industry). Such insurance must provide for a payment of loss thereunder to the Landlord or to the holder of mortgages or deeds of trust on the Premises.

 

(c)    The policies required by this section must provide for standard waivers of any right of subrogation that the insurer of such party may acquire against the other party to this Lease, for losses that are actually insured against, even if the loss results from a negligent act or omission. The Tenant’s insurance company must provide the Landlord with a certificate of insurance on form ACORD-27 (for Property Insurance required to be carried under this Lease), or its equivalent, and ACORD-25 (for liability insurance required to be carried under this Lease), or its equivalent, which provides that the insurance may not be cancelled without giving the named insured at least 30 days’ prior written notice (or at least ten days’ written notice of cancellation in the event of the non-payment of premium). The Tenant may carry any required insurance under a blanket policy if that policy complies with the requirements of this Lease.

6. Events of Default

The "Default Events" provision enumerates behaviors deemed as infringements on your lease agreement. Common occurrences embody skipping rental dues, experiencing bankruptcy, or neglecting following lease commitments. Stay mindful of this segment and sidestep these snags to sustain a harmonious rapport with your property owner and efficiently manage your enterprise.

The following events will be deemed to be Events of Default by the Tenant under this Lease:
(1)    The Tenant fails to pay any installment of the Rent hereby reserved when due, or any other payment or reimbursement to the Landlord required under this Lease when due, and such failure continues for a period of 30 days after the Tenant’s receipt of written notice of such nonpayment;
(2)    The Tenant becomes insolvent, or makes a transfer in fraud of creditors, or makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors;
(3)    The Tenant files a bankruptcy petition or Tenant is adjudged bankrupt or insolvent in proceedings filed against the Tenant;
(4)    A receiver or trustee is appointed for all or substantially all of the assets of the Tenant; and
(5)    The Tenant fails to comply with any term, provision, or covenant of this Lease (other than the foregoing in this section 18), and does not cure such failure within 30 days after written notice thereof to the Tenant, or such longer period as may be necessary to cure such default provided the Tenant has promptly commenced curing such default and is diligently proceeding to obtain such cure.

7. Holdover

The "Continued Possession" provision takes care of instances where you extend your stay beyond the lease period. If you don't vacate by the expiration of your lease tenure, you'll remit 125% of the typical rent for each month of persisting tenancy. Be certain you comprehend the expense associated with overstaying and strategize your departure suitably.

If the Tenant holds over after the expiration of the Term and does not surrender the Premises prior to the expiration of the Term, then for each such month that the Tenant is holding over, the Tenant shall pay to Landlord 125% of the Rent due under this Lease for each month.

What happens when a Commercial Lease Agreement expires?

Upon the maturity of a commercial lease contract, myriad outcomes can take place. I've accessed some superior references that detail possible scenarios:

  • Extend or Cease: Enterprise lessees should weigh up whether to extend or terminate their lease commitments significantly prior to its completion. Commencing this course of action 6 to 12 months ahead of time is broadly recognized as standard procedure.
  • Evolve to Month-to-Month: If the preliminary lease is not extended or a fresh lease is not activated, the tenant could possibly transition into a month-to-month tenancy, contingent on the landlord's consent.
  • Lessor Assumes Position: Occasionally, post the conclusion of a commercial lease, the landlord may opt to inhabit the property personally, be it for dwelling or commercial purports.
  • Prospect of Judicial Proceedings: If complications escalate around the contract's conclusion, such as a tenant's repeated delays in rental disbursements or failure to abide by the lease's conditions, the cessation of a lease might result in legal repercussions.

What are the penalties for breaking Commercial Lease Agreements?

Surely, consequences arising from violating a commercial lease contract can differ, but typically some standard penalties exist:

  • Outstanding Rent: Frequently, a primary penalty for breaching a commercial lease entails the tenant being accountable for the remaining rental payment based on the lease duration, even post-vacating the premises.
  • Notification Duration: The majority of commercial property owners demand a notice timeframe spanning from 30, 60, to 90 days when tenants opt to terminate the lease.
  • Severance Charges and Extra Expenses: Subject to the lease arrangement specifics, commercial leases may impose termination costs and hold the tenant liable for marketing fees incurred to locate a new tenant and likely cleaning expenses.
  • Judicial Implications: Contingent upon the situation and the violation's nature, if conflict resolution mechanisms within the lease are spent, the matter might intensify to legal proceedings or result in a courtroom dispute.

Given that penalty particulars could fluctuate depending on the lease agreement, it is vital to meticulously examine the lease document to comprehend the precise terms and stipulations associated with premature termination.