What Businesses Should Check Before Taking an Office on Rent | Sirf Broker

Most businesses spend months evaluating their product strategy, their hiring plan, and their marketing budget — and then sign an office lease in two weeks without asking half the questions they should.

The office is not a support function. It is an operational asset — one that affects how employees commute, how clients perceive the company, how reliably the business can operate, and how much it spends every month for the next three to five years.

An office decision made too quickly — on location feel, on the landlord’s charm, on a rent figure that looked manageable — can produce consequences that compound for the entire lease period. A location that turns out to have poor Metro connectivity. A building without a valid Occupancy Certificate. A CAM charge that was never fully explained. A lock-in period that traps the business in an undersized space when headcount doubles. A power supply that cannot support the team’s equipment.

None of these is rare. All of them are avoidable — if the right questions are asked before the agreement is signed.

For brokers, this checklist is the foundation of commercial advisory. A broker who walks a client through these checks — proactively, before the client thinks to ask — is not just showing available offices. They are protecting a business decision. That is the level at which commercial brokerage earns genuine trust.

Here is every check a business must make before taking an office on rent — organised by the stage at which it should happen.

1. Verify the Legal Status of the Property — Before Falling in Love With the Space

Before a business visits a space or enters a cost conversation, the legal standing of the property must be confirmed. A beautiful office in an illegal building is not a shortlist candidate — it is a liability.

Land use classification:

Every property in India has a designated land use in the local master plan or development plan — residential, commercial, industrial, mixed-use, or IT/ITES. An office can only legally operate in a property that is zoned for commercial or appropriate mixed use.

A business that occupies a property with the wrong land use classification — an office in a residential zone, a company in an agricultural conversion that was never properly approved — faces:

• Sealing or closure by the local authority — sometimes with very little notice
• Utility disconnections — electricity and water supplied at residential tariff cannot legally power commercial operations
• Lease unenforceability — a lease for an illegal use is not enforceable in court
• Insurance invalidity — most commercial insurers will not cover operations in violation of land use norms

How to verify: Check the local development authority’s portal — DDA for Delhi, HRERA for Gurugram, Noida Authority for Noida — for the specific survey or plot number of the property. A general locality classification is not sufficient. The specific plot must be confirmed.

Occupancy Certificate (OC):

The OC is the municipal authority’s confirmation that the building has been constructed as per the approved plan and is fit for occupation. Without it:

• The building is technically illegal for occupation
• Utility connections cannot be formalised in the tenant’s name
• Insurance is complicated — most commercial insurers require a valid OC
• If the authority inspects and finds the building unoccupied, the business can be asked to vacate

Ask for the OC before visiting the property. A landlord who cannot produce it is asking the business to absorb a legal risk that is not theirs to carry.

Encumbrance Certificate:

The EC confirms whether the property has any outstanding loans, court attachments, or registered charges against it. A building against which the landlord has an undischarged mortgage — and where the bank has priority — is a risk for any tenant who invests in fit-out.

2. Confirm the Building Approvals — The Documents That Confirm It Is Safe and Legal

Beyond the OC, a commercial building must have several other approvals in place before a business should consider occupying it.

Completion Certificate (CC):

In some states, the CC and OC are issued separately — the CC confirms construction is complete as per the approved plan, while the OC confirms the building is fit for occupation. Verify which documents are applicable in the relevant state and confirm both are available.

Fire NOC:

The No Objection Certificate from the Fire Department is mandatory for commercial buildings above a certain size and occupancy category. It confirms the building meets fire safety standards — adequate exits, fire suppression systems, alarms, and evacuation provisions.

The Fire NOC must be:

• Current — not expired (Fire NOCs are periodically renewed)
• Applicable to the specific floor or zone being leased — a NOC for a lower floor does not automatically cover upper floors
• Consistent with the building’s current configuration, modifications or additions to the building may invalidate the original NOC

A business that operates in a building without a valid Fire NOC faces:

• Insurance complications — commercial property and liability insurers typically require a valid Fire NOC
• Regulatory risk — fire safety inspections can result in closure orders

Building age and structural condition:

For older commercial buildings — particularly those over 20 years old — ask whether a structural audit has been conducted recently. Some city authorities have mandated structural audits for older buildings. A building that has not been audited — or has a pending audit — may have deferred maintenance that becomes a problem during occupation.

3. Understand the True Cost — Everything Beyond the Base Rent

This is where most businesses discover they have misbudgeted significantly — after the agreement is signed.

The base rent quoted by the landlord or broker is never the total cost of occupying a commercial office. In most professional commercial buildings in India, the actual monthly occupancy cost is 50 to 100 per cent higher than the base rent figure.

The complete monthly occupancy cost:

How businesses should calculate their budget:

The correct approach is to calculate total occupancy cost per workstation per month — dividing the full monthly cost by the number of workstations the space accommodates. This is the metric that makes sense for operational budgeting — and it is the metric most businesses do not use at the shortlisting stage.

A space that looks expensive on a per-sq-ft basis may be cost-effective per workstation if the floor plate is efficient. A space with a low base rent but high CAM, expensive parking, and a poorly efficient floor plate may be far more expensive per seat than its headline rent suggests.

4. Evaluate the Location — Beyond the Address

Location in commercial real estate is an operational decision — not a lifestyle preference. The right location for a business is the one that minimises friction for its employees, clients, and vendors while meeting its cost parameters.

Metro connectivity — the most important factor for most NCR businesses:

Confirm the physical walking distance from the building’s entrance to the nearest Metro station — measured accurately, not from a map. The practical threshold for most employees is 400 to 500 metres on foot. Beyond that, a feeder service (auto, e-rickshaw, cab) is required, which adds 15 to 25 minutes and a meaningful daily cost to each employee’s commute.

Do not accept the landlord’s claim about the Metro distance. Walk it.

Talent catchment alignment:

Where do the business’s existing employees live — and where will future hires come from? The office location must be reachable for the majority of the target workforce without an unreasonable commute.

A company that predominantly hires from East Delhi, Noida, and Indirapuram — and locates its office in Gurugram’s Cyber City — will face higher attrition and recruitment difficulty than one that locates on the Noida Expressway corridor.

Client proximity:

For client-facing businesses — consulting, law, financial services, advertising — proximity to the client base is a revenue-affecting location factor. The cost of a poorly located office is not just the commute inconvenience to employees. It is the additional time and cost of every client meeting that requires either client travel or employee travel.

Last-mile quality:

The quality of the connection between the Metro station or main road and the building entrance matters as much as the headline distance. A building 400 metres from the Metro but with no footpath, no shade, and high-speed traffic on the approach is not effectively Metro-connected.

Visit the location at peak commute hours — not on a Sunday afternoon. The experience of getting to the office at 9:30 AM on a Monday is the experience that determines attrition and attendance.

5. Assess the Physical Space — What the Floor Plan Cannot Show

A site visit that evaluates a commercial space properly goes well beyond looking at the size, the finishes, and the view. The physical characteristics of the space determine how efficiently it can be used and what the day-to-day working experience will be.

Floor plate efficiency:

The ratio of usable carpet area to total leased area determines how many people can work productively in the space. A floor plate with large structural columns in inconvenient positions, an irregular shape, a large central service core, or narrow window bays will have lower usable efficiency than a clean rectangular floor plate with peripheral columns.

Ask for the carpet area specifically — not just the super built-up area. Under RERA, developers are required to state carpet area. For older buildings, ask for the floor plan and measure the carpet area independently if in doubt.

Natural light:

The depth of the floor plate from the window wall to the central core determines how much natural light reaches the working areas. A deeply planned floor plate — where most workstations are 12 or more metres from any window — requires full artificial lighting throughout the day. This increases electricity cost and reduces the quality of the working environment.

Natural light also affects employee wellbeing and productivity — a factor that is increasingly weighted by businesses that compete for talent.

Ceiling height:

Standard commercial office ceiling height — finished ceiling, not structural slab — should be a minimum of 2.7 metres. Heights below this feel compressed in open-plan offices and are particularly inadequate for spaces that use raised flooring (which reduces effective ceiling height).

Column positions and structural grid:

Ask for the structural column grid — the spacing between columns in both directions. For open-plan offices, a column-free span of 12 metres or more allows flexible racking and workstation layout. Narrower spans create obstacles that reduce efficiency and fragment the floor plate visually.

Condition of the existing fit-out (if pre-fitted):

If the space comes with an existing fit-out — furnished, with partitions, false ceiling, and electrical installations — evaluate its condition and suitability carefully. An inherited fit-out that does not match the business’s spatial requirements may cost more to remove and replace than starting from a bare shell.

6. Verify Power Supply and Infrastructure — The Technical Non-Negotiables

For any modern office, power infrastructure is as fundamental as the space itself. Inadequate power supply is not an inconvenience that can be worked around — it is an operational constraint that affects the entire business.

Sanctioned connected load:

Every commercial unit has a sanctioned electrical load — the maximum power allocated by the electricity distribution company. Measured in KW or KVA, this determines how much equipment — workstations, servers, HVAC, lighting — can be powered simultaneously.

Verify the sanctioned load from the electricity meter or the most recent electricity bill — not from the landlord’s verbal claim. Landlords frequently overstate the available load.

A business planning for 100 workstations with server infrastructure typically needs a minimum of 20 to 30 KW of sanctioned load — more for data-intensive operations. Confirm this before shortlisting, not after.

Power backup:

The DG (Diesel Generator) backup capacity determines what proportion of the building’s power stays on during a grid failure.

For most businesses, the critical questions are:

• Is backup 100% of connected load — meaning all systems continue — or only partial (common areas and lifts only)?
• What is the response time between grid failure and DG startup — typically 8 to 15 seconds?
• Is there a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) provision — bridging the gap without any interruption for critical systems?

For businesses with servers, call centres, or trading operations, even a brief power interruption is not acceptable. The backup specification must match the operational requirement.

Electricity tariff:

Confirm the building supplies power at a commercial tariff — not a residential or agricultural tariff. Power supplied at the wrong tariff category is technically illegal for commercial use and can be reclassified or disconnected by the electricity authority.

Three-phase supply:

For offices with significant equipment loads — large server rooms, industrial printers, or specialised equipment — confirm that a three-phase supply is available. Single-phase supply is insufficient for high-load equipment.

7. Check the HVAC System — Daily Comfort Is a Productivity Factor

In India’s climate — where summer temperatures in Delhi NCR regularly exceed 40°C — the quality of the air conditioning system is not a luxury. It is a direct determinant of employee productivity and comfort.

Centralised HVAC vs split systems:

Grade A office buildings provide centralised air conditioning — a chilled water plant that distributes cooling across floors through fan coil units or variable air volume (VAV) systems. This provides uniform, energy-efficient cooling with individual zone control.

Older or Grade B buildings may use split air conditioning units, which are noisier, less efficient, create uneven cooling across large open-plan spaces, and require individual maintenance.

For a business planning an open-plan office for 50 or more people, centralised HVAC is significantly better. For a small team in a compact space, split units may be adequate.

After-hours cooling:

Centralised HVAC typically operates during standard building hours — usually 9 AM to 7 PM. For businesses that work late, have international team calls in the evenings, or operate on weekends, confirm:

• Whether after-hours cooling is available
• What it costs — per hour, per floor, or per unit of energy
• Who activates it — building management or the tenant directly

After-hours cooling can add ₹50,000 to ₹2,00,000 per month to the occupancy cost for businesses that use it regularly. This must be budgeted for — not discovered at the first electricity bill.

Cooling capacity:

The number of tons of refrigeration (TR) allocated to the leased space determines how well it cools under full occupancy. A standard of 0.8 to 1.2 TR per 1,000 sq ft is typical. Ask the building management for the allocated TR for the specific floor or unit — and verify it against the planned headcount density.

8. Evaluate Internet and Data Connectivity

For any modern business, internet connectivity is operational infrastructure — not an amenity. An office without reliable, adequate, and redundant internet connectivity is not functional.

ISP availability:

Is the building connected to multiple Internet Service Providers — Airtel, Jio, BSNL, ACT, Tata Communications? Multiple ISP options allow:

• Competitive pricing — more than one provider creates negotiating leverage
• Redundancy — a primary and backup connection from different providers ensures continuity if one provider has an outage

A building connected to only one ISP creates a single point of failure. For businesses with any degree of operational dependency on internet connectivity, single-ISP buildings are a risk.

Dedicated vs shared bandwidth:

In some commercial buildings, internet connectivity is provided by the building management on a shared basis — with all tenants drawing from a single building-wide connection. This creates bandwidth contention during peak hours — every tenant’s speed is affected by every other tenant’s usage.

Modern businesses require dedicated bandwidth on their own contract, directly with the ISP — not shared through the building.

Structured cabling:

Does the building have a structured cabling infrastructure — conduits, cable trays, and distribution points that allow ISP cables to reach individual floors without major civil work? Buildings without structured cabling require the tenant to run cables themselves, which may not be permitted or may require significant investment.

Latency and reliability:

For businesses with real-time operations — trading, online gaming, video production, streaming — internet latency and reliability are specific technical requirements. Ask the building management or existing tenants about internet reliability — uptime percentage, frequency of outages, and average response time for connection issues.

9. Confirm Parking — More Important Than It Appears

In Indian cities where public transport coverage outside Metro corridors remains limited, parking is a daily practical concern — not a minor amenity point.

An office with inadequate parking creates daily friction: employees cannot find spaces, resort to street parking, or spend 20 minutes circling before starting work. Over months, this becomes a real attrition and morale factor.

Dedicated vs open parking:

Confirm whether the parking slots allocated are dedicated — assigned to the tenant with named or numbered spaces — or open on a first-come-first-served basis. Open parking in a busy building means early arrivals get spaces and late arrivals do not — which creates inequality and resentment.

Parking ratio:

Calculate the parking-to-headcount ratio — how many four-wheeler slots are available per employee who drives to work. In suburban locations where most employees drive, a ratio of 1 slot per 3 to 4 employees is a common minimum. In Metro-connected locations, the ratio need not be as high — but it should be discussed explicitly.

Two-wheeler parking:

In most Indian offices, a significant proportion of the workforce commutes by two-wheeler — particularly at the junior and mid levels. Two-wheeler parking is often provided separately and sometimes in inadequate quantity. Confirm the two-wheeler parking allocation as explicitly as four-wheeler parking.

Visitor parking:

For client-facing businesses, the availability and ease of visitor parking affect the client experience of visiting the office. A client who cannot park within a reasonable distance — or who must walk through a poorly maintained parking area — arrives at the meeting having already had a negative experience.

Parking cost:

Confirm the cost per slot per month — and whether this cost is subject to the same escalation as the base rent, or escalates independently. Parking costs in premium commercial buildings can run ₹8,000 to ₹15,000 per slot per month — a significant component of total occupancy cost for a company with a large driving workforce.

10. Read the Lease Terms — Every Clause That Will Govern the Tenancy

The lease deed defines every right and obligation of the business for the duration of the tenancy. Signing it without reading and understanding every clause is the most avoidable — and most common — mistake in commercial leasing.

Lock-in period:

Confirm the duration and mutuality of the lock-in period. Standard commercial lock-ins are three to five years. The lock-in must bind both parties equally — a clause that locks in the tenant while allowing the landlord to exit is not a mutual commitment.

For businesses with uncertain headcount projections, negotiate a break clause — the right to exit at a defined mid-lease point with sufficient notice. This is a standard negotiation point in commercial leases and is increasingly expected by well-advised tenants.

Rent escalation:

The escalation clause defines how rent increases over the lease period. It must be specific — not vague:

• “Rent shall increase by 12% every 3 years” — specific and enforceable
• “Rent shall be revised mutually at the landlord’s discretion” — gives the landlord unlimited power at renewal

Check whether escalation applies to base rent only or to base rent plus CAM. CAM escalation that is not capped independently can increase total occupancy cost significantly beyond the base rent escalation rate.

CAM charges:

The CAM clause must specify:

• The current rate per sq ft — in numbers, not a reference to “as applicable”
• What is included — a written breakdown
• The annual increase cap — typically 5 to 8 per cent
• Whether audit rights are provided — the tenant’s right to verify the calculation
• Exclusions — capital expenditure, depreciation, and ineligible costs must be specifically excluded

A CAM clause without these provisions is an open commitment to an unknown and potentially growing cost.

Security deposit return:

Confirm the amount, conditions for deduction, and timeline for return of the security deposit after vacation. A vague clause — “deposit shall be returned after verification” — gives the landlord unlimited discretion on timing and deductions.

A well-drafted clause specifies that the deposit is returned within 30 to 60 days of vacation, after deducting only specifically defined amounts (unpaid rent, utility bills, damage beyond normal wear and tear).

Reinstatement obligation:

Confirm whether the business must restore the space to its original condition at the end of the lease — and what that means in practice. If reinstatement is required, the cost of demolishing the fit-out and restoring bare walls must be budgeted at the outset — not discovered at the end.

Document the pre-fit-out condition with dated photographs and a written schedule signed by both parties — before fit-out begins. This is the baseline against which restoration is measured.

Renewal option:

Confirm whether the lease includes a right of first refusal to renew — and on what terms. Without a renewal clause, the landlord has no obligation to offer the space to the existing tenant at the end of the term.

11. Understand the GST and TDS Obligations — Before the First Rent Payment

Commercial leasing in India has mandatory tax obligations that must be understood before the lease is signed — not discovered when the first invoice arrives.

GST on commercial rent:

If the landlord is GST-registered (which most commercial landlords are, given the rent quantum), the tenant must pay 18% GST on base rent and CAM charges in addition to the stated amounts.

For a total rent + CAM of ₹4 lakh per month, the GST adds ₹72,000 per month — ₹8.64 lakh per year — to the occupancy cost.

The tenant can claim Input Tax Credit (ITC) on this GST — offsetting it against their own GST liability — provided:

• The tenant is GST-registered
• The property is used for taxable business activity
• The landlord issues a proper GST invoice each month

For businesses that are not GST-registered — or are claiming GST exemption — the 18% is a real, unrecoverable cost that must be included in the budget.

TDS on commercial rent:

Under Section 194-I of the Income Tax Act, a business paying commercial rent exceeding ₹2,40,000 annually must deduct TDS at 10% from each rent payment and deposit it with the income tax department.

This means:

• The business pays 90% of the rent to the landlord
• The business deposits 10% to the income tax department
• The business files the applicable TDS return
• The landlord claims the TDS as an advance tax credit on their income tax return

A landlord who is not aware of this requirement may expect to receive the full rent amount — and be surprised when 10% is deducted. This must be discussed and agreed upon before the first rent payment — not discovered as a conflict on payment day.

12. Check the Building Management and Service Level Standards

A building’s day-to-day management quality affects the tenant’s operational experience as much as its physical specifications. A Grade A-specification building with poor management is more frustrating to occupy than a Grade B building with excellent management.

Building management company:

In professionally managed commercial buildings, a named facility management company — CBRE, JLL, Knight Frank Facilities Management, or a reputable local equivalent — is responsible for building operations. Ask:

• Which company manages this building?
• What are the Service Level Agreements (SLAs) — response times for maintenance, lift breakdowns, power supply issues, security incidents?
• Is there a 24/7 operations desk — or only daytime support?

A landlord who manages the building themselves — without a professional FM company — is a risk for any business that depends on reliable building services.

Common area maintenance standards:

Visit the building’s common areas — lobby, lifts, toilets, corridors, parking — and assess their current condition and cleanliness. The condition of common areas at the time of the visit reflects the management standard that the tenant can expect during occupancy.

A building with a grand lobby that was last maintained five years ago — with broken lift buttons, dirty corridors, and poorly maintained parking — is telling the prospective tenant something important about what occupying the building will be like.

Existing tenant experience:

Where possible, speak to existing tenants in the building — not people recommended by the landlord, but independent conversations. Ask:

• “How is the building managed?”
• “Are maintenance issues addressed promptly?”
• “Are there any recurring problems — power, water, parking, security?”
• “Would you take this building again?”

Existing tenants are the most reliable source of operational reality about a building — and most are willing to share their experience with a prospective tenant who asks directly.

13. Assess Fit-Out Flexibility — What the Business Is and Is Not Permitted to Do

Before signing a commercial lease, a business must understand what modifications it is permitted to make to the space — and what obligations arise from those modifications.

Fit-out rights:

Confirm that the lease explicitly permits the planned fit-out — including:

• False ceiling installation
• Raised flooring
• Internal partitioning
• Electrical panel modifications
• Server room construction
• Branding and signage

Some lease deeds require the landlord’s prior written approval for each type of modification. A business that plans a significant fit-out must confirm this approval mechanism is workable — not a source of delay or arbitrary refusal.

Fit-out period:

A rent-free fit-out period — standard in most commercial transactions — gives the business time to complete interior construction before paying full rent. Standard fit-out periods:

• Small offices (under 2,000 sq ft): 2 to 4 weeks rent-free
• Medium offices (2,000 to 10,000 sq ft): 4 to 8 weeks rent-free
• Large offices (above 10,000 sq ft): 8 to 16 weeks rent-free

Confirm whether CAM charges apply during the fit-out period — in many buildings, they do, even when rent is waived.

Building contractor approval:

Most commercial buildings require fit-out work to be carried out by approved contractors — to maintain building standards and ensure compliance with fire and structural norms. Confirm whether the business’s preferred contractor is eligible — or whether they must use a building-approved contractor list.

Reinstatement standard:

Confirm in writing — before fit-out begins — what the reinstatement standard is at the end of the lease. Is the tenant required to remove all fit-out and restore bare walls? Or can the fit-out remain and become the landlord’s property?

This question, asked at the start, prevents a significant dispute at the end.

14. Plan for Growth — The Lease Must Accommodate the Business Trajectory

One of the most common and most expensive commercial leasing mistakes is signing a lease that fits the business today without considering where the business will be in year two or year three of a five-year commitment.

Headcount projection:

Calculate the space requirement based on a realistic headcount projection — not current headcount alone. A business that plans to grow from 40 people to 100 people over three years needs a lease that can accommodate that growth — either in the initial space or through an expansion right in the same building.

Expansion option:

Negotiate a right of first refusal on adjacent vacant space in the same building — giving the business the option to expand without relocating. This right, if exercised, prevents the cost and disruption of a mid-lease relocation.

Contraction option:

For businesses with uncertain headcount — particularly post-pandemic, where remote and hybrid working has made headcount planning less predictable — a break clause or sub-letting right provides the flexibility to reduce the footprint if the business contracts or changes its working model.

Lease term vs growth trajectory:

For fast-growing businesses, a long lock-in period carries the risk of outgrowing the space before the lease expires. A shorter lock-in — with a renewal option — provides more flexibility. A managed office or co-working solution may be more appropriate for businesses whose headcount is genuinely uncertain.

For stable, established businesses, a longer lease — with a break clause — secures the location at a fixed rate before rent increases, and provides the certainty needed to invest in fit-out.

15. Engage a Lawyer and a Qualified Broker — Before Any Document Is Signed

This is the check that makes every other check on this list more reliable.

Engage a property lawyer:

A commercial lease deed is a complex legal document drafted by the landlord’s lawyer, with the landlord’s interests as the primary consideration. Every clause that is favourable to the landlord and unfavourable to the tenant is intentionally drafted that way.

A business that signs a commercial lease without its own lawyer’s review is accepting the landlord’s terms without challenge. The cost of legal review — typically ₹15,000 to ₹50,000 depending on complexity — is trivially small against a ₹1 crore lease commitment.

The lawyer should specifically review:

• Lock-in mutuality and break clause
• CAM charges — cap, inclusions, audit rights
• Escalation formula — base rent and CAM
• Security deposit — return conditions and timeline
• Reinstatement obligation — standard and cost
• Dispute resolution — arbitrator appointment and jurisdiction
• Force majeure — rent abatement provisions

Work with a qualified commercial broker:

A qualified commercial broker — one who understands land use classification, total occupancy cost calculation, lease structures, and building specifications — provides value that goes well beyond finding available spaces.

They should:

• Verify land use and OC status before shortlisting
• Calculate total occupancy cost for every option presented
• Flag one-sided lease clauses before the document reaches the lawyer
• Negotiate commercial terms at the LOI stage — before the tenant is psychologically committed
• Stay engaged through possession — to confirm the space is handed over as agreed

A broker who does all of this is not a viewing agent. They are a commercial real estate advisor — and the value of that advisory, relative to its cost, is among the highest-return professional engagements a business can make in an office transaction.

A Complete Pre-Lease Checklist for Businesses

Use this before finalising any commercial office:

Legal and approvals:

• Land use classification confirmed — commercial or appropriate mixed use
• Occupancy Certificate obtained and verified
• Completion Certificate confirmed
• Fire NOC current and covering the specific floor
• Encumbrance Certificate — no outstanding charges on the property
• Landlord’s authority to lease confirmed — title documents, Board Resolution if corporate

Cost calculation:

• Base rent confirmed — in ₹ per sq ft and total monthly amount
• CAM charges confirmed — written breakdown obtained
• GST implication understood — 18% on rent + CAM
• Parking cost confirmed — per slot, escalation mechanism
• Electricity tariff type confirmed — commercial tariff
• Security deposit amount and return conditions confirmed
• Fit-out cost estimated — amortised over lease period
• Total monthly occupancy cost calculated — all components included

Location and connectivity:

• Metro distance is physically measured from the building entrance
• Commute experience at peak hours tested
• Talent catchment alignment assessed
• Last-mile quality physically verified
• Parking adequacy for the expected workforce driving proportion

Physical space:

• Carpet area confirmed — not just super built-up area
• Floor plate efficiency evaluated — column positions, shape, natural light
• Ceiling height measured — finished ceiling, not structural slab
• Pre-fit-out condition documented with photographs

Infrastructure:

• Sanctioned electrical load verified from the electricity bill
• Power backup capacity — KVA, coverage percentage
• Three-phase availability confirmed if required
• Internet ISP options — multiple providers confirmed
• HVAC type — centralised or split, after-hours availability and cost
• After-hours cooling cost budgeted if applicable

Lease terms:

• Lock-in period — mutual, clearly defined
• Break clause — negotiated if relevant
• Escalation — specific formula, not vague language
• CAM — cap, breakdown, audit rights, exclusions
• Security deposit return — timeline and conditions specific
• Reinstatement — standard and cost agreed before fit-out
• Renewal option — documented in the lease
• Sub-letting rights — consent not unreasonably withheld

Tax compliance:

• TDS obligation understood — 10% deduction, Form filing
• GST on rent — ITC eligibility confirmed
• Stamp duty on lease — calculated and allocated

Professional engagement:

• Property lawyer engaged for lease review
• Commercial broker — qualified, verifying land use and OC, calculating total cost
• Building management quality — existing tenants consulted

What Brokers Who Guide Clients Through This Process Do Differently

They do not present a shortlist of available offices and invite the client to choose based on aesthetics and rent. They qualify every option against the client’s specific requirements — eliminating spaces that fail on land use, OC status, power supply, Metro distance, or lease flexibility before a site visit is arranged.

They know that the total occupancy cost is what the client is actually committing to — and they calculate it before the first viewing, not after the agreement is signed. They know the CAM clause must have a cap — and they raise it at the LOI stage, not after the lease deed is in circulation. They know the lock-in must be mutual — and they flag any asymmetry before the client is psychologically committed to the space.

And they stay engaged after the agreement is signed — through fit-out, through possession, through the early months of occupancy — because the commercial client relationship does not conclude at the broker’s fee. It deepens there.

A business that took an office on rent with a qualified broker’s guidance — and found themselves in a space that was legal, well-specified, accurately costed, and governed by a fairly drafted lease — does not go looking for a different broker next time. They come back. And they refer.That is what professional commercial advisory produces. Not just a closed transaction — a client who trusts you with the next one too.