Commercial lease

Définition

A commercial lease grants a tenant the use of business premises against rent. Dutch law splits commercial premises into two regimes: retail and hospitality space (middenstandsbedrijfsruimte) under article 7:290 BW onwards, with strong tenant protection and statutory terms, and other business space under article 7:230a BW with mainly eviction protection. The applicable regime materially affects term, termination and rent-review rights.

Exemple

A retailer leasing a high-street shop falls under the 7:290 BW regime, giving it the standard 5+5-year term and statutory protection against termination.

Pourquoi c'est un risque pour l'entreprise

Misclassifying the applicable BW regime means a tenant may unknowingly waive statutory protections, or a landlord may find termination attempts ineffective. Commercial leases are long-term commitments: a business locked into a 5+5-year lease whose model changes cannot easily exit without negotiating a costly settlement. Rent-review clauses linked to CPI or a different index can produce significantly higher rents than anticipated over the full term.

Comment le gérer

• Identify at the outset which BW regime applies (7:290 or 7:230a) and understand the resulting statutory rights and obligations before signing.
• Track rent-review dates and the index applied so you can model rent evolution and budget accordingly.
• Note the notice period for termination of each lease cycle in your contract system; missing a notice deadline under a 7:290 BW lease triggers automatic renewal for another five years.
• Record the initial handover state (with photos and a snagging list) and keep it alongside the lease agreement to avoid end-of-lease disputes about reinstatement obligations.

Références juridiques

• BW 7:290 Dutch Civil Code: retail/hospitality business space Droit néerlandais
• BW 7:230a Dutch Civil Code: other business space Droit néerlandais

Sauf mention contraire, les références renvoient au droit néerlandais (Burgerlijk Wetboek, le Code civil néerlandais) ; les instruments de l'UE tels que le RGPD s'appliquent dans toute l'UE. Il s'agit d'informations générales, pas de conseils juridiques. D'autres juridictions traitent ces concepts différemment. Vérifiez le texte en vigueur et votre situation avec un avocat qualifié.