You’ll have to excuse me if I sound a bit hot about this issue, but I am sick and tired of the prevailing attitude in the property leasing industry that significant rent hikes during rent reviews are something we all have to just live with.

That is simply not the case. Despite the fact that leases give landlords a clear opportunity to put the rent up at scheduled times of review, the (more…)

As economic times toughen, business leaders with an eye to the future need to watch trends even more intensely.

In the property leasing market, we need to frequently look a few years out in decision making processes. Buildings currently under construction that will open for business in the next few months were conceived and leased 2-3 years ago, when the world economy was booming.

So the million dollar question becomes, (more…)

Economists like to talk about ‘correction’ when viewing the economy.

They view the current trends in our economy and markets that are variously being called a ‘downturn’ , ‘credit crunch’ and even recession as a ‘correction’ after times of growth that one can only assume they viewed as incorrect, or as others would put it; times of growth or even boom times.

Whatever the language, there is no doubt rising interest rates, soaring fuel prices, and food costs have (more…)

The use of ratchet clauses is on the up as property markets toughen and property owners look for ways to keep rentals up.

Ratchet clauses have traditionally been used by property owners in markets where there is a possibility that property values might drop, dragging rentals down with them. There has been an ongoing argument over the ratchet clause so here is my spin on it… (more…)

I’ve talked before about how we underestimate the opportunity property can be to business strategy. As number two on most balance sheets, property can significantly impact a business’ profitability.

But there are other potential hidden benefits. And it is all about timing. (more…)