Commercial Lease Lawyers — Sydney
Sydney commercial and retail leases done properly — landlord or tenant, new deal or renewal, Retail Leases Act 1994 (NSW) compliant, on a fixed fee.
Fixed fee. Senior lawyer.
Every engagement is quoted upfront and led by a senior lawyer — never a paralegal-first pipeline.
- hello@envisionlegal.com.au
- Sydney · Melbourne · National
How we help
What we handle for you.
Concrete deliverables — not a general "advice" retainer. Each item can be scoped as a one-off fixed-fee package or bundled into a monthly counsel arrangement.
01
New lease review (tenant)
Full review of the lease, disclosure statement and personal guarantees — with a plain-English risk sheet before you sign and before your fit-out spend is at risk.
02
Landlord lease preparation
Landlord-side lease drafting with proper make-good, outgoings, bank guarantee and default machinery for Sydney commercial and retail premises.
03
Retail Leases Act 1994 (NSW) compliance
Disclosure statement preparation and review, minimum 5-year term rules, prohibited costs, and lessee-friendly provisions the Act automatically implies.
04
Assignment, sub-lease & licence to occupy
Assignments on sale of the business, sub-leases, and short-term licence agreements — with proper landlord consent and release of guarantors.
05
Rent reviews & option exercise
Market rent reviews, CPI reviews, option-to-renew notices and Retail Leases Act default position when the parties disagree.
06
Lease disputes & make-good
Bond and bank guarantee disputes, end-of-lease make-good negotiations, and NCAT proceedings for retail lease disputes.
Who this is for
Clients we work best with.
- Sydney tenants signing their first commercial or retail lease
- Landlords preparing lease packs for CBD or suburban premises
- Businesses assigning a lease on the sale of the business
- Tenants pushing back on end-of-lease make-good claims
How we work
No surprises. Ever.
Fixed fees quoted upfront. Senior lawyer on every file. Clear next steps at every stage.
01 — Brief
Send a short brief or book a 15-minute call. We'll confirm scope and what you actually need — often that's less than you think.
02 — Fixed-fee quote
You get a written scope and a fixed fee before we start. No hourly billing, no scope-creep invoices.
03 — Senior lawyer, on the tools
The lawyer you scoped with is the lawyer doing the work. We turn drafts around fast and stay reachable throughout.
FAQs
Common questions.
- Is my lease a 'retail lease' under NSW law?
- Broadly, yes if the premises are used for a retail business listed in Schedule 1 of the Retail Leases Act 1994, or the premises are in a retail shopping centre. Retail leases attract mandatory protections — 5-year minimum term, disclosure statement, prohibited outgoings — that a commercial lease doesn't. It's the first question we answer on any review.
- Do I need to sign a personal guarantee?
- Almost every landlord asks for one; almost every tenant should push back on scope. We negotiate the guarantee down to a cap, a fixed number of months' rent, or release on assignment where the covenant of the incoming tenant is strong.
- What is 'make-good' and why does it matter?
- The obligation to return the premises to a defined state at end of lease. A loose make-good clause can cost a tenant $50k–$200k+ on exit. We negotiate this at the start — photo schedules, exclusions for fair wear and tear, and cap on cost — not on the day the lease ends.
- Can the landlord raise the rent whenever they want?
- No — rent reviews must follow the mechanism in the lease (fixed %, CPI, market review or hybrid). Under the Retail Leases Act, the tenant can require a specialist retail valuer determination on a market review. Ratchet clauses (rent can't go down) are prohibited for retail leases in NSW.
Talk to us
Legal built for commercial lease lawyers — sydney.
Send us a note about what you're working on. We'll respond within one business day and, if we're a fit, book a free 15-minute consultation with a senior lawyer.