A warehouse lease should protect business continuity. Many companies focus on rent and area but miss critical operational and legal points that later create disputes, hidden costs and movement delays.
Use this checklist before committing to any warehouse, land, shed or open yard.
Pre-lease checklist
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1
Ownership and authority
Confirm whether the person offering the space has proper authority to lease or commercially offer the property.
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2
Property use and permission
Check whether the property can be used for warehousing, storage, logistics activity, loading/unloading or industrial use.
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3
Area confirmation
Measure covered area, open area, loading area and usable storage area. Avoid relying only on verbal area claims.
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4
Access and movement
Check vehicle approach, road width, night movement restrictions, parking and congestion risk.
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5
Infrastructure condition
Inspect roof, flooring, wall condition, drainage, seepage, lighting, ventilation and electrical load capacity.
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6
Safety readiness
Review fire safety arrangements, emergency access, security, CCTV, gate control and hazard risk.
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7
Commercial terms
Clarify rent, deposit, lock-in, escalation, maintenance, taxes, electricity, repair responsibility and exit notice.
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8
Insurance and liability
Understand who is responsible for cargo insurance, building insurance, damage, theft, fire and third-party risk.
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9
Fit-out and modification rights
Confirm whether racks, office partitions, signboards, flooring changes or loading improvements are allowed.
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10
Handover and exit condition
Document the condition of the warehouse at handover and agree on how the property should be returned.
Final advice
A warehouse lease should be evaluated jointly from commercial, operational and logistics perspectives. A low-rent warehouse can become costly if access, safety or lease terms are weak.