Lease renewal surprise: that triple net clause I skimmed cost me $18k

Got a renewal offer for a 5,000 sq ft warehouse off I-25 last month. Paragraph 14.2, tiny print, said I'm on the hook for roof replacement even though I only got the space 3 years ago. Landlord's broker texted me 'standard stuff' when I asked about it. Called a commercial real estate attorney in LoDo, $450 for a review, and he found two other traps in there too. Water heater replacement and parking lot resurfacing, both shifted to me. Walked away and found a better spot in Aurora with a flat rate lease. Has anyone else gotten burned by these renewal clauses or do I just need a better lawyer?

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nathana4812d ago

Not to pile on, but that $450 review probably saved you way more than $18k. My buddy signed a renewal in Colorado Springs and the landlord slipped in a clause about "maintaining the existing HVAC system" which somehow meant replacing the whole unit when it died six months later. The lawyer thing is tricky though, because a good one will catch the obvious traps like roof and parking lot, but they might not push back on the stuff that's worded all fuzzy. Aurora sounds like a solid move, flat rate leases are rare these days, so you might've lucked out there.