In commercial real estate, there are typically three different types of leases structures. Knowing the characteristics ensure you know what to financially expect and budget for with your monthly office rent. In Tampa Bay, a particular type of lease structure parallels with a different type of space and location.
Two main items to consider, location and type of buildings.
For example, if you are leasing office space in the Tampa in a large building in Westshore or Downtown Tampa, nine times out of ten you have a Full Service office lease. Compared to if you are leasing office space in Carrollwood you would come across more Modified Gross or Full Services leases.
The type of building can also play a role but there are exceptions. If you relocate your office to a different type of building (from a multi-story office building to a single-story building) the kind of lease structure can vary.
What is the Difference between Full Service (FS), Modified Gross (MG) and Triple Net (NNN) Leases?
In commercial leases there are three typical types of leases that can be negotiated between a tenant and a landlord: “Full Service Gross” (FSG), “Modified Gross” (MG) and “Triple Net” (NNN). In some cities, one type of lease may be more prevalent than the others. In general, full service usually applies to a multiple story office building, MG single story office space or warehouse and NNN applies to retail space. Usually, the differences between the three lease types relates to how (and by whom) the “triple net” costs (taxes, insurance and common area maintenance (CAM)) are dealt with.
Full Service:
In an FS lease, the triple net costs and any additional costs such as utilities and janitorial, but excluding the costs of phone/data, are bundled into the base rent. FSG leases provide the tenant with the highest level of certainty regarding their complete occupancy cost; however, the downside is that the annual escalator will increase the base rate of the lease regardless of any real fluctuations in the operating expenses.
Modified Gross:
An MG lease typically includes all the triple net costs but excludes utilities and/or janitorial service. An MG lease has similar advantages/disadvantages to a FSG lease; i.e. taxes, insurance and CAM are typically bundled into the base lease rate. A unique disadvantage is that the tenant will have two additional variable costs to consider: utilities and janitorial. It is important to note that a modified gross lease can be “modified” to include or exclude any individual expense within the base rate “bundle.”
Triple Net:
In an NNN lease, the tenant is responsible for their pro-rated share of the “triple net costs”: taxes, insurance and CAM; in addition, the tenant is also responsible for utilities and janitorial. The primary advantage to an NNN lease is transparency; all of the building’s operating costs are available for the tenant’s review. The primary disadvantage is that the triple net costs are not guaranteed in the Lease and are subject to increase or decrease, increasing is much more typical.