Local to Ventura & Santa Barbara County
We work for you, not the property owner
No cost to you in most deals
We work for practice owners only, never landlords. A medical or dental office costs more to build than almost any other space, so the lease has to spell out who pays for the plumbing and equipment, what the extra monthly charges are, and your right to stay once you have built.
We read every line of the lease with your practice in mind.
Tenant improvement dollars are often paid on completion, which means you finance the entire build out first and get reimbursed after. For a practice owner already carrying equipment debt, that timing is the difference between workable and painful. Progress payments are negotiable.
A renewal option priced at fair market value sounds neutral. It is not, because the landlord knows you cannot move your operatories. Negotiate a cap on the increase, or a stated rate, before you build.
The clause that lets you transfer the lease to the buyer of your practice determines whether that practice is sellable. Landlord consent that can be withheld for any reason, or a transfer fee tied to the sale price, quietly takes value off your exit.
Without an exclusive use clause naming your specialty precisely, the landlord can lease the suite down the hall to a direct competitor. General dentistry and orthodontics are two different protections. Write it that way.
A medical practice was looking for a new location that would make sense for both the patients and the people running the practice. The space had the visibility, parking, and layout they wanted, and at first glance, the asking rent looked workable.
But a medical or dental space has a different set of questions.
Before the practice committed, we looked at the things that could affect the real cost of the space: permitted use, build out requirements, HVAC and electrical capacity, plumbing, accessibility, and who would be responsible when something eventually needed to be repaired or replaced.
The lease mattered just as much as the floor plan.
Once those obligations were on the table, the conversation with the landlord changed. Instead of simply negotiating the rent, the practice could negotiate the deal around what it would actually take to operate there.
That is where medical and dental tenants can protect themselves before the lease is signed, while the important terms are still open.
How many practices would have toured that space before somebody thought to ask what the lease would actually make them responsible for?
| Line item | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Base rent | Quoted per square foot per month. This is the only number most owners compare. |
| NNN (triple net) charges | Your share of property taxes, building insurance, and common area maintenance, billed on top of base rent. |
| Build out beyond the allowance | Operatories, plumbing, vacuum, gas, dedicated electrical, and any lead lining. Almost always exceeds the landlord's allowance. |
| Permits and plan check | City and county review for a medical use takes longer and costs more than a standard tenant improvement. |
| Rent during build-out | Free rent during construction is negotiable and routinely left on the table. |
You Tell Us What You Need
We Find Your Space and Negotiate Your Deal
You’re Open for Business
The property owner pays our fee in most commercial lease deals. You pay nothing out of your pocket in most cases
The infrastructure is different, so the risk is different. Plumbing, vacuum lines, nitrous, dedicated electrical, lead lined walls, and specialized HVAC all sit on top of what a standard office needs. That means a bigger build out cost, a longer commitment, and a lease that has to be structured to protect the investment you are about to make.
It is negotiated, and the tenant improvement allowance is where the negotiation happens. A landlord who wants a stable long term practice in the building has real motivation to contribute, because a dental or medical build out is one of the most sticky tenancies in commercial real estate. Establish the scope, the allowance, and who controls the contractor before you sign anything.
Long enough for the build out investment to make sense, with options that keep the decision in your hands. If you are amortizing hundreds of thousands in improvements, a term that expires before that investment pays back leaves you negotiating from behind. Renewal options at pre-agreed rent are the protection.
Long enough for the build-out investment to make sense, with options that keep the decision in your hands. If you are amortizing hundreds of thousands in improvements, a term that expires before that investment pays back leaves you negotiating from behind. Renewal options at pre agreed rent are the protection.
Then stay with them. Once you are represented, or another agent has introduced you to a space, that is their deal. Come to us at the start of your next search, or when your renewal comes up.
Or call (805) 203-6365 · 472 E Santa Clara Street, Ventura
