TL;DR: Scrib🐮's M1 Templates provide country-specific commercial lease frameworks covering rent review mechanisms, break clauses, service charges, and tenant improvement provisions — for UK, Australia, France, and Canada.
A commercial lease is typically a 3–25 year commitment involving substantial financial obligations. The rent provisions (including rent reviews), the repair and reinstatement obligations (dilapidations in UK terminology), and the permitted use clause determine whether the lease works for your business or becomes a financial liability.
Commercial tenants — particularly small businesses signing their first lease — are at a significant disadvantage. Landlords typically use their standard lease template, which is drafted in their favour. Without understanding what is negotiable and how different clauses affect your obligations, tenants sign leases with provisions they later discover are extremely costly: open-ended dilapidations schedules, rent review clauses that can only go up, and service charge provisions that exclude cost caps.
Commercial lawyers typically charge £1,500–£5,000 for lease review and negotiation assistance, which is disproportionate for a 3-year lease on a small retail unit. Yet the cost of signing an unfavourable lease without advice is often far greater.
Scrib🐮's M1 Template module provides commercial lease frameworks for tenants and small landlords, with explanatory guidance on key provisions.
Country selection:
Choose your jurisdiction (UK, Australia — specifying state, France, Canada — specifying province). The template loads the relevant statutory framework and terminology:
Core lease terms:
The template covers: parties and property description, term and commencement date, base rent, permitted use (with guidance on how to draft a use clause that is broad enough for your current and foreseeable business activities), alienation provisions (subletting and assignment), alterations and tenant improvements, and repair obligations.
Rent review:
The template asks you to choose a rent review mechanism: open market review (ratchet or no-ratchet), index-linked review (RPI/CPI in the UK, IPC in France), stepped rent, or turnover rent. It explains the commercial implications of each in plain terms and generates the appropriate clause.
Break clause:
Break clauses allow either party (or both) to terminate the lease before expiry. The template covers: who can exercise the break (landlord, tenant, or both), the break date(s), the notice period required, and the conditions that must be satisfied for the break to be effective. In the UK, break conditions must be carefully drafted — the Courts have refused to allow tenants to exercise break clauses when conditions (such as vacant possession or payment of all rent) were not precisely met.
Service charge:
For multi-tenanted buildings, the template covers service charge provisions: what costs are recoverable, how they are allocated between tenants, and whether there is a service charge cap. The RICS Service Charge Code (UK) best practice guidance is referenced where applicable.
Dilapidations / make good:
The template covers the tenant's repair and reinstatement obligations at lease end. For UK leases, this section follows the RICS Dilapidations Protocol guidance and includes a schedule of condition option (which limits the tenant's repair obligation to the state of the property at commencement).
Scrib🐮 is a document preparation service. Commercial leases have significant long-term financial consequences. Review by a commercial lawyer or chartered surveyor is strongly advisable before signing.
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Try it free →| Module | What It Does |
|---|---|
| M1 Templates | Smart document templates for all 3 menus |
| M2 Guided Prep | TurboTax-style step-by-step wizard |
| M3 AI Assistant | Instant answers to document questions |
| M4 Submission Guide | Filing instructions for each country |
| M5 Dashboard | Track documents, deadlines, status |
Pricing: From $149/month — all menus, all countries, unlimited documents.
DIY risk: Commercial leases presented by landlords are drafted in the landlord's favour. Without understanding what the standard market position is for each clause, a tenant cannot identify what to negotiate. The Scrib🐮 template explains the market standard position and common negotiation points for each provision.
Commercial lawyer: UK commercial lawyers typically charge £1,500–£5,000 for lease review and negotiation. For a 3-year lease on a small office or retail unit, professional fees can approach 5–10% of total rent commitment. The template helps you understand the key issues before engaging a lawyer, reducing the time (and cost) of professional involvement.
Scrib🐮: The commercial lease template provides a framework for understanding and preparing a commercial lease document, with plain-language explanations of each provision's commercial implications. Use it to draft the document and understand what you are signing — then decide whether the specific terms warrant professional review.
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MmowW Scrib🐮 is a document preparation service, not a law firm.
Q: Does the UK commercial lease template cover the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 security of tenure?
Yes. The template includes a section covering whether the lease is contracted out of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 security of tenure provisions. Contracting out requires a specific statutory procedure (notice and declaration) before the lease is granted. The M4 Submission Guide covers the contracting-out procedure in detail.
Q: Can I use the template for a short-term commercial licence rather than a lease?
Scrib🐮's commercial lease template is designed for leases (exclusive possession for a fixed term at a rent). Short-term licences (which do not grant exclusive possession) are structurally different documents. If you are considering a licence rather than a lease, consult a commercial lawyer — the legal distinction between a lease and a licence can significantly affect your rights.
Q: Does the Australian template cover retail tenancy legislation?
Yes. The Australian commercial lease template asks whether the premises are retail premises (as defined by state-specific retail tenancy legislation) and adjusts the applicable provisions accordingly. Retail tenancy legislation in most Australian states provides protections for small retail tenants that do not apply to non-retail commercial leases.
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