Commercial Leasing Lawyers in China

A commercial lease is not only a rent schedule. The transaction depends on whether the landlord can grant the promised premises and use, whether planning, fire-safety, environmental, building-management, registration and sector requirements can be met, who must complete and approve fit-out work, and how rent, deposits, operating charges, repair, interruption, assignment, termination, restoration and enforcement operate over the full occupation cycle.

Questions that change the route

Can the premises lawfully support the proposed business?

Verify title and authority to lease, property boundaries and common areas, mortgage or seizure, planning and approved use, building and fire status, management rules, licences, signage, utilities, access, loading, operating hours, environmental constraints, and any landlord or authority consent.

When do delivery, fit-out, and payment obligations begin?

Define handover condition and measurement, defects and acceptance, design approval, contractor control, permits, fit-out period, rent commencement, incentives, deposit, tax and invoice treatment, service charges, utilities, repair and capital works, insurance, delay consequences, and opening conditions.

What happens if the business, building, or relationship changes?

Model assignment, subletting, change of control, expansion, contraction, redevelopment, casualty, government action, business interruption, default and cure, security enforcement, early termination, renewal, holdover, reinstatement, fixtures, abandonment, handback, and dispute forum.

Evidence to organize first

• Title and register material, landlord authority, mortgage or seizure status, plans and measured area, planning and use records, building, fire and environmental documents, management rules, and consent matrix
• Lease and amendments, offer and side letters, handover record, condition survey, fit-out drawings and approvals, permits, contractor documents, defect list, opening conditions, rent and charge ledger, invoices and payment evidence
• Operational notices, repair and interruption records, insurance, assignment or sublease material, default and cure correspondence, valuation and loss calculations, restoration specification, exit timetable, and possession evidence

Official orientation sources: Civil Code · SPC interpretation on urban-building lease disputes (2020 revision). Source check: 8 October 2026.