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Description

Commercial Leases: Negotiating Clauses, Managing the Lease and Preparing for Renewal

Take back control of your commercial lease before the key dates decide for you

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

The lease was signed quickly, on the landlord's standard form. The service charges recharged each year come as a surprise, the works being demanded do not match what the tenant believed it had to bear, and the renewal date arrives without any case having been prepared. Discussions with the landlord then take place under time pressure.

These two days make the lease readable and negotiable. Participants learn to decode the sensitive clauses, to allocate service charges, works and property-related levies between landlord and tenant, to track the dates that create obligations, and to prepare a renewal negotiation or an exit from the premises with documented arguments.

Learning objectives

  • Identify the clauses in a commercial lease that commit the company over the long term
  • Allocate service charges, works and property-related levies between landlord and tenant
  • Track lease milestones and the notice periods required to act
  • Prepare a renewal negotiation supported by documented arguments
  • Decide between renewal, renegotiation and relocation

What makes this programme different

A real lease brought by a participant is examined clause by clause
A review grid for recharged service charges is built and then applied in the session
The negotiation with the landlord is prepared and then role-played from both sides

Programme

1The commercial lease framework

Knowing which contract you have signed

  • Scope of the tenancy rules applicable in the relevant Emirate
  • Distinction from other occupancy arrangements such as licences and serviced-office agreements
  • Permitted use of the premises and activities authorised under the trade licence
  • Lease term, registration requirements and termination options
  • Handover condition report and effective date

2Financial clauses and service charges

Understanding what you actually pay

  • Rent, payment structure and rent review mechanisms
  • Security deposit and other guarantees required from the tenant
  • Allocation of service charges, works and property-related levies
  • Reviewing the annual service charge statement and supporting evidence
  • Rent-free periods and landlord contributions such as a fit-out allowance

3Managing the lease over its life

Anticipating the dates that create obligations

  • Landlord and tenant works during the lease term
  • Assignment of the lease and subletting
  • Rent review requests and supporting market evidence
  • Breaches, default notices and termination procedures
  • Timeline of key points requiring vigilance

4Renewal and exit

Negotiating from an informed position

  • Notice to vacate and renewal requests
  • Discussing the rent for the renewed lease
  • Compensation scenarios and grounds for refusing renewal
  • Building a negotiation file with market and cost data
  • Relocation alternatives and total cost of moving

Who is it for

Facilities and corporate real estate managers, property and leasing portfolio managers, and owners or managers of small and medium-sized companies that lease their premises.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.