office space improvements

by Jason
(Daphne, AL, US)

I have rented the same office space for over 10 years. Is it reasonable to ask the landlord to replacing the flooring, do they simply give me some sort of allowance to go toward flooring, or am I responsible for that?

Anthony's Answer

It is reasonable to do either depending on what you can negotiate.

Landlords treat renewals as a slam dunk but when push comes to shove if you have been a good tenant there are many things you can negotiate when a lease renewal comes due. It's always a good idea to go to the market and see what's available because sometimes you can negotiate a lower rental rate as well.

Remember landlords face vacancy, commissions, leasehold improvement allowances for new tenants and if they expect to keep you a proven good tenant then they will often cut you a better deal.

It's also a good time to get your lease renegotiated as there are often things that you can improve....