Free commercial lease template (Australia)
A free Australian commercial lease template from Quillio covers office, industrial, and warehouse premises — not subject to state Retail Leases Acts. It covers essential terms (rent, term, reviews, outgoings, permitted use, assignment), make-good, default remedies, and insurance. For retail premises, a retail lease template compliant with the applicable state Act should be used instead.
When commercial (not retail) lease applies
Commercial leases apply to office, industrial, warehouse, and other non-retail premises. Retail Leases Acts typically do not apply. Some industrial-commercial premises in certain states may still fall within retail definitions — check the state Act's definitions carefully (some Acts apply if the tenant carries on certain types of business regardless of premises type).
Standard clauses
Premises description; term (and options); rent; rent review mechanism (typically CPI, fixed percentage, market review, or combination); permitted use; outgoings (which the tenant pays and how); security (bank guarantee, director's guarantee, or bond); assignment and subletting rights; make-good provisions; insurance (building, contents, public liability, business interruption); default and termination; and dispute resolution.
Rent review mechanics
Fixed percentage reviews (3-4% typical); CPI reviews (Sydney or relevant capital city all groups); market reviews (typically every 5 years with fallback to valuation on disagreement); or ratchet clauses (rent can increase but not decrease). Market reviews are the most complex and dispute-prone — drafting matters.
How I generate commercial leases
Tell me the premises, term, rent, review mechanism, and any unusual terms. I produce a draft commercial lease in under 2 minutes. For commercial property lawyers this is a routine volume workflow — the template handles the standard elements and I can adapt for bespoke requirements.
Common issues
- Market reviews with ratchet clauses are one-way increases only — tenants should resist unless compensated
- Outgoings should be clearly defined and capped where possible
- Make-good obligations can be onerous — negotiate a depreciation allowance or cap
Try Quillio on a real matter.
The fastest way to know if Quillio fits your practice is to use it on your own work. The free trial requires no credit card and no sales call.
Start your free trial