About This Course
Commercial leases are among the most significant and complex contractual arrangements that businesses and property owners enter into. Unlike residential leases, commercial lease agreements involve highly negotiable terms, sophisticated risk-allocation mechanisms, and substantial financial exposure over multi-year periods. A poorly negotiated or misunderstood lease can result in costly disputes, unplanned capital expenditure, operational disruption, or long-term liability — outcomes that TrainingComplex's Commercial Lease Training course is specifically designed to prevent.
This five-day programme provides a comprehensive, practice-oriented grounding in the full lifecycle of commercial leasing — from initial heads of terms and due diligence through to lease execution, ongoing management, rent review, and eventual expiry or renewal. Participants learn to read and interpret lease clauses critically, identify hidden obligations, and negotiate terms that align with their organisation's strategic and financial interests.
Drawing on real-world lease documents, case studies from diverse commercial property markets across Africa and the Middle East, and structured negotiation exercises, the course transforms theoretical legal knowledge into actionable commercial competence. Whether participants are on the landlord side, the tenant side, or acting as advisors, they leave with the practical skills and professional confidence to handle commercial leases effectively.
TrainingComplex has designed this course to serve professionals operating in retail, office, industrial, and mixed-use property environments. It is equally valuable for in-house legal and property teams, corporate real estate managers, finance officers responsible for lease accounting, and entrepreneurs expanding their business footprint.
Who Should Attend
- Property and real estate managers responsible for commercial portfolios
- In-house legal counsel and corporate legal officers
- Commercial tenants and business owners entering or renewing leases
- Facilities and asset managers overseeing leased premises
- Finance and accounting professionals managing lease obligations and IFRS 16 reporting
- Procurement officers involved in office or retail space acquisition
- Landlords, property developers, and asset management teams
- Real estate brokers and leasing agents seeking deeper transactional knowledge
- Government and parastatal property officers managing state-owned or leased space
Learning Objectives
- Understand the legal framework governing commercial leases in common law and civil law jurisdictions
- Identify and interpret key commercial lease clauses including rent, term, permitted use, alienation, and break options
- Conduct effective due diligence before entering or renewing a commercial lease
- Negotiate lease terms that protect organisational interests and allocate risk appropriately
- Apply IFRS 16 principles to recognise, measure, and disclose lease liabilities in financial statements
- Draft and review heads of terms, lease schedules, and ancillary documents with precision
- Manage rent review processes including open market, indexed, and turnover rent mechanisms
- Handle landlord and tenant obligations relating to repair, maintenance, insurance, and service charges
- Navigate lease assignment, subletting, and change-of-use scenarios within legal parameters
- Resolve commercial lease disputes through negotiation, mediation, and formal dispute resolution processes
- Manage lease expiry, renewal negotiations, and dilapidations claims professionally
Course Modules
Module 1: Foundations of Commercial Leasing
- The distinction between commercial and residential leases
- Key parties in a commercial lease transaction: landlord, tenant, guarantor, and agent
- Overview of leasehold versus freehold interests in commercial property
- Legal framework: statutory provisions, common law principles, and equity
- The role of solicitors, surveyors, and brokers in the leasing process
- Ethical obligations and professional standards in commercial real estate
Module 2: Pre-Lease Due Diligence
- Title investigation and land registry searches
- Planning and zoning checks: permitted use and change-of-use implications
- Environmental and structural surveys: when and why they matter
- Review of existing tenancies, encumbrances, and easements
- Financial due diligence on the landlord's ownership structure
- Due diligence checklists and risk-rating frameworks for prospective tenants
Module 3: Heads of Terms and Pre-Contractual Negotiations
- Purpose and legal status of heads of terms
- Key commercial terms to agree before instructing lawyers
- Rent-free periods, landlord contributions, and fit-out incentives
- Security of tenure and contracting-out agreements
- Negotiating position analysis: understanding leverage and walk-away points
- Drafting clear, complete, and unambiguous heads of terms documents
Module 4: Anatomy of a Commercial Lease
- Structure and layout of a standard commercial lease agreement
- Definitions and interpretation clauses: practical significance
- Term, commencement date, and holding-over provisions
- Premises definition: demised area, common parts, and car parking
- Rent, rent deposit deeds, and bank guarantee requirements
- Conditions precedent and completion mechanics
Module 5: Rent, Rent Review, and Turnover Rent
- Types of rent: base rent, stepped rent, turnover rent, and indexed rent
- Open market rent review: process, triggers, and dispute resolution
- RPI and CPI-linked rent escalation mechanisms
- Turnover rent structures in retail leases: calculation and audit rights
- Upward-only versus open rent review clauses
- Strategies for challenging or resisting unfavourable rent reviews
Module 6: Tenant Obligations and Landlord Covenants
- Repairing obligations: full repairing and insuring versus internal repairing leases
- Alterations and fit-out: landlord consent, licences to alter, and reinstatement
- Permitted use clauses and the consequences of breach
- Service charges: what they cover, how to challenge, and RICS codes of practice
- Insurance obligations and subrogation rights
- Landlord's quiet enjoyment covenant and forfeiture relief
Module 7: Alienation: Assignment, Subletting, and Sharing Occupation
- Absolute, qualified, and fully qualified alienation clauses
- Process for obtaining landlord's licence to assign
- Conditions commonly imposed on assignment: AGA, rent deposits, guarantors
- Subletting: structure, permitted subrent, and underlease terms
- Sharing occupation with group companies and concessionaires
- Consequences of unlawful alienation and remedies available
Module 8: Break Clauses and Lease Flexibility Mechanisms
- Types of break clause: tenant-only, landlord-only, and mutual breaks
- Conditions precedent to exercising a break: vacant possession and compliance
- Notice requirements and timing: common mistakes that invalidate breaks
- Rent apportionment and service charge settlement on break
- Negotiating clean break clauses with minimal conditions
- Case law lessons: leading break clause disputes and their outcomes
Module 9: Lease Expiry, Renewal, and Dilapidations
- Statutory renewal rights under relevant legislation and contracting-out provisions
- Tactical considerations for landlords and tenants approaching lease expiry
- Serving and responding to renewal notices correctly and on time
- Dilapidations: schedule of condition, terminal schedule, and diminution in value cap
- Negotiating dilapidations settlements: cash payment versus reinstatement works
- Surrender of lease: consensual surrender, surrender by operation of law, and documentation
Module 10: IFRS 16 Lease Accounting and Financial Management of Leases
- Scope and objectives of IFRS 16 — Leases for commercial tenants
- Identifying a lease under IFRS 16: separating lease and service components
- Initial measurement of right-of-use asset and lease liability
- Subsequent measurement, depreciation, and interest expense recognition
- Lease modifications, reassessment triggers, and accounting treatment
- Building a lease register and using lease management software for compliance
Requirements & Prerequisites
Participants should have a basic familiarity with business contracts or property management in a professional context. A background in law, real estate, finance, or facilities management is beneficial but not mandatory. No prior specialist knowledge of lease law is required, as the course builds from foundational principles to advanced practice.
Training Methodology
- Clause-by-clause review of actual commercial lease documents, annotated and discussed in small groups
- Structured negotiation role plays where participants alternate between landlord and tenant positions
- Case studies drawn from real commercial lease disputes and rent review arbitrations across African and Middle Eastern markets
- Financial modelling exercises applying IFRS 16 to calculate right-of-use assets and lease liabilities
- Heads of terms drafting workshops where participants produce and peer-review negotiation documents
- Guided due diligence simulations using sample property searches, title documents, and planning records
- Group scenario discussions on dilapidations claims, subletting requests, and break clause activation
- Expert-facilitated Q&A sessions anchored in participants' own current lease challenges
- Take-home checklists and clause libraries participants can apply immediately in their workplace
Organisational Benefits
- Reduced financial exposure through better-negotiated lease terms and avoidance of hidden obligations
- Improved compliance with IFRS 16 lease accounting standards, reducing audit risk
- Stronger internal capacity to review and manage lease portfolios without over-reliance on external advisors
- Fewer costly disputes with landlords or tenants arising from misunderstood lease obligations
- More strategic real estate decisions anchored in a clear understanding of lease commitments
- Enhanced ability to identify and exercise break clauses, renewal rights, and rent review protections
- Greater confidence in negotiating with sophisticated landlords, developers, or institutional investors
- Consistency in lease management practices across multi-site or multi-country operations
- Reduced dilapidations liability through proactive repair and maintenance management throughout the lease term
Where Is Commercial Lease Training Offered?
This course runs in-person across: Pretoria, Accra, Dar es Salaam, Addis Ababa, Arusha, Johannesburg, Naivasha, Kisumu, Kampala, Nairobi, Cape Town, Dubai, Zanzibar, Abuja, Nakuru, Riyadh, Lagos, Mombasa, Kigali, plus Live Virtual (online) cohorts. Browse live dates for your city below.
Upcoming Schedules
| Location | Format | Dates | Price |
|---|
| Live Virtual |
Online |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 80,000 |
| Pretoria, South Africa |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,300 |
| Accra, Ghana |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,800 |
| Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,300 |
| Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,400 |
| Arusha, Tanzania |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,100 |
| Johannesburg, South Africa |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,500 |
| Naivasha, Kenya |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
KES 120,000 |
| Kisumu, Kenya |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
KES 120,000 |
| Kampala, Uganda |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 1,900 |
| Nairobi, Kenya |
In-Person |
2 Nov 2026 – 6 Nov 2026 |
KES 105,000 |
| Pretoria, South Africa |
In-Person |
2 Nov 2026 – 6 Nov 2026 |
USD 3,300 |
| Cape Town, South Africa |
In-Person |
2 Nov 2026 – 6 Nov 2026 |
USD 3,800 |
| Arusha, Tanzania |
In-Person |
2 Nov 2026 – 6 Nov 2026 |
USD 2,100 |
| Live Virtual |
Online |
2 Nov 2026 – 6 Nov 2026 |
KES 80,000 |
+226 more dates — view live schedule →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a legal background to attend this course?
No formal legal qualification is required. The course is designed for professionals from real estate, finance, facilities management, and business operations, as well as legal practitioners seeking commercial context. It builds from foundational principles before progressing to advanced negotiation and clause analysis.
Will I receive a certificate upon completing the course?
Yes. Participants who attend the full five-day programme receive a Certificate of Completion in Commercial Lease Training issued by TrainingComplex. This certificate can be used for continuing professional development (CPD) records and portfolio evidence.
Is this course relevant to both landlords and tenants?
Absolutely. The course is structured to give participants insight into both sides of the lease relationship. Negotiation exercises, role plays, and case studies are deliberately designed so that participants experience the landlord and tenant perspectives, making the learning applicable regardless of which side of the table you typically sit on.
How does the course address IFRS 16 lease accounting?
A dedicated module covers IFRS 16 in practical terms — from identifying whether an arrangement contains a lease, through to measuring right-of-use assets and lease liabilities and accounting for lease modifications. Financial modelling exercises are included so participants can apply these concepts to real numbers.
Can my organisation arrange a private, in-house delivery of this course?
Yes. TrainingComplex offers customised in-house delivery for organisations with groups of six or more participants. The content can be tailored to your specific lease portfolio, jurisdiction, and sector — for example, focusing exclusively on retail leases or adapting case studies to your country's legal framework. Contact our training team for a tailored proposal.
