You've found the shed. It ticks the boxes on size, access and location, and the agent has emailed through heads of terms. Before you sign anything, understand this. Almost every clause in that document was drafted to protect the landlord first. That doesn't make it unfair, it just means the terms in your favour usually have to be asked for. Nobody hands them to you.
The lease you're handed is a starting point, not a final offer
Industrial leases in the west are rarely as fixed as they look on paper. Rent, incentives, make good obligations and review structures are all points of discussion, especially once you know what typically moves and what doesn't. Landlords with a vacant shed sitting empty want a good tenant locked in more than they want to win every clause.
A lease you never negotiated is a lease written entirely for someone else's benefit.
What to push on before you commit
The terms you never asked to change are the ones that cost you most in year three.
Physical and operational details that matter more than people expect
Think beyond square metreage. Power capacity, hardstand condition, clearance height, container access and the number of roller doors all affect how your business actually operates day to day. If your operation depends on B double access or three phase power, get it written into the lease, not just promised verbally by the leasing agent.
Common mistakes tenants make before signing
Get advice before you sign, not after
A good industrial lease protects your operation as much as it protects the landlord's asset. Local market knowledge matters here. Understanding what's genuinely negotiable in the current western Melbourne and Geelong corridor market versus what's standard practice can save real money over a five or ten year term. This is general property guidance, always have a commercial lawyer review the final lease document before signing.
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Fairmont only sells and leases industrial property across Melbourne's western corridor and Geelong. That focus is deliberate. It means we know the buyers who are active right now and what they are prepared to pay.