What to Check Before Leasing Industrial Space

Insights  /  What to Check Before Leasing Industrial Space

How your business actually uses space

Start with your operation, not the listing. How many people, vehicles, and deliveries per day? What equipment needs power, air, water, or floor load? How much inventory, and how is it moved? What hours do you run, and will customers visit? Write this down before you tour—it turns a sales conversation into a fit check.

The building

• Clear height to the lowest obstruction (sprinkler heads, lights, ducts), not just to the roof deck.
• Loading: dock-high vs. grade-level doors, door sizes, dock levelers, truck court depth, and whether the trailers you use can actually turn and back in.
• Power: amperage, voltage, and phase at the panel; what is available from the utility; and who pays for upgrades.
• Floor: slab thickness and condition for forklifts, racking, and equipment.
• Column spacing and how it affects racking and workflow.
• Office-to-warehouse ratio, restrooms, HVAC in the office, and ventilation or heat in the warehouse.
• Fire and life safety: sprinklers, alarms, and any occupancy limits tied to your use or storage.

The site

• Parking for employees, customers, and fleet vehicles—counted, not assumed.
• Outdoor storage or yard: is it permitted, fenced, lit, and paved?
• Truck access from the street and any weight or turning constraints.
• Security, lighting, and after-hours access.
• Signage rights and visibility if customers come to you.

Use, permits, and neighbors

Confirm that your specific use is permitted under zoning and the lease. Ask about certificates of occupancy, permits needed for your build-out, hazardous materials limits, and noise or hours restrictions. Meet the neighbors if you can—shared driveways and docks cause more friction than rent.

The lease

• Rent basis: gross vs. NNN, and a realistic estimate of taxes, insurance, and common-area costs.
• Who maintains what: roof, structure, HVAC, doors, parking, and landscaping.
• Tenant improvements: scope, allowance, who builds, and what happens at move-out.
• Term and options: renewal, expansion, early termination, and assignment if your business changes.
• Delivery condition and date, with remedies if the space is late.
• Landlord responsiveness: who you will actually call, and how quickly they respond.

Kumo publishes these operating facts on every property it lists and provides a named contact for each. See Properties and Tenant Solutions.

General website information is educational and is not legal, tax, investment, or financial advice. Nothing on this page is an offer to buy, sell, or lease property. Terms are confirmed only in a written agreement.