Here are a few tips we put together for you, so that you can stay aware of your options to best navigate your business during this time.

• Review your lease again to see if your rent is simply base rent or it includes pass-through expenses. How much are these expenses and are they set to increase?

• When does your lease end? What renewal options are available?

• What constitutes a default of the lease? What tools are available to the landlord in such a case (penalties, eviction, interest, etc.)?

• Is there a “force majeure” clause? What happens if there isn’t?

• Does your landlord hold a security deposit? If so, how much is it?

• Review...

As commercial tenants are now faced with the possibility of shutting down their doors, it is only a matter of time before they approach Landlords about negotiating rent and other financial conditions in their lease.

When a business suddenly closes, even temporarily, and the tenant cannot produce rent, landlords may begin to have difficulty paying their mortgage and other expenses. There is no win-win in this scenario.

Here are some viable alternatives to alleviate this issue:

• Rent Reduction. The landlord can reduce the cost of the tenant's rent for a portion or all of the term left on the lease. The standard forms of rent reduction are to reduce the b...