Negotiating Your NYC Commercial Lease: Rent Escalation Clauses and Inflation

Unless it is a short-term lease, every New York City commercial lease contains at least one rent escalation clause. There are several types, but, in general, these clauses increase the rent — and other tenant payment obligations — on a fixed schedule (which is often yearly). This article includes topics for commercial litigation, landlord-tenant, and […]

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NYC Commercial Lease v. License: What is the Difference?

Most have heard of a commercial LEASE concerning New York City real estate. Some may be surprised that one may also obtain a LICENSE concerning real estate. In simple terms, a lease grants possession of the real estate, while a license grants no possession but the right to engage in specific actions (usually of a […]

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Yes, You can get a Commercial Lease in the Metaverse

You may have heard that Facebook recently changed its corporate name to Meta. Part of the change involves creating virtual realities with virtual “land,” “buildings,” and burgeoning virtual “cities.” As reported here by Time media, already, there are many websites dedicated to building the most popular and populated virtual worlds. Meta may “win,” but time […]

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My NYC Commercial Lease is Expiring: What Do I Do?

If your NYC commercial lease term is expiring soon, you are not alone. As The Real Deal reports here, upwards of 243 million square feet of office space leases are set to expire during the remainder of 2022 in NYC and elsewhere around the country. Further, it is estimated that leases for another 200 million […]

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Payment of Real Estate Taxes Under NYC “Triple Net” Commercial Leases

One of the many reasons you should have an experienced NYC commercial lease attorney draft and review your commercial lease is that many leases reference New York State law or New York City Regulations. Experienced commercial lease attorneys will understand those references and know what they mean. The lease may reference a statute or regulation, […]

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NYC Commercial Leases: What is the Covenant of Quiet Enjoyment?

One of the many reasons you should have an experienced NYC commercial lease attorney draft and review your commercial lease is that all leases — both residential and commercial — contain implied covenants. These are like “invisible” provisions/clauses deemed by New York law to exist in every contract. Those not experienced with lease law will […]

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How Might NYC Lessors React if Commercial Rent Control is Enacted?

As reported by media outlets, City Councilman Stephen Levin has re-introduced legislation to impose commercial rent control here in NYC. See Crain’s New York Business report here. Levin introduced his bill in 2019 but was unsuccessful in getting the legislation to a vote. No one is sure whether Mayor DeBlasio is supportive. It is a […]

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Negotiating Force Majeure Clauses in NYC Commercial Leases

We recently wrote about the frustration of purpose doctrine regarding New York commercial leases and COVID-19. In this article, we discuss a different kind of legal doctrine that might be used to allow a party to be excused from its contractual obligations: “force majeure” provisions. Unlike the frustration of purpose doctrine, which depends on the […]

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NYC Commercial Lease Litigation, COVID-19 and the Frustration of Purpose Doctrine

Under New York contract law, the frustration of purpose doctrine is a legal principle that, under certain rare circumstances, allows one party to evade its obligations under a contract. The Frustration of Purpose doctrine only applies if “circumstances” have changed so that one party’s performance is virtually worthless, thereby frustrating the purpose of making the […]

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