Gross and Net Leases
Gross and Net Leases for Office Space
No matter which type of business is reflected, the commercial real estate lease is a binding agreement created to defined the terms of occupancy for a tenant. Bottom line, most commercial real estate leases whether they are gross or net leases are drafted to offload as much exposure from the landlord onto the tenant as much as possible. It is for that reason that a tenant should understand that searching and negotiating a lease thru a brokerage like Shire Commercial, is not the whole enchilada. A seasoned broker will offer you as a Client more services that just finding you a space, anybody can do that. On top of lease reviews, a good broker who represents your interests will point out potential issues in a lease and recommend that you consult a legal authority for more detailed review.
Gross vs Net Leases 
Roughly speaking, there are 2 main types of leases for office space in the Austin area, they are gross and net leases. While both may represent some risks for tenants, the gross lease offers the biggest chance for the lease language to hide some pitfalls . Why? This is because Net leases are written to have the tenant responsible for pay for property expenses beyond rent to include taxes, insurance and maintenance , almost as if you as the tenant own the property. A Gross lease on the other hand detail out the tenant expense beyond rent in details that need some attention right away. These attentions to detail include: units of measurement being used and calendar years being referenced within a lease. Having a firm grasp of the details within a Gross lease versus a Net lease is important for a tenant to understand.