Commercial lease

Definizione

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.

Esempio

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.

Perché rappresenta un rischio aziendale

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.

Come gestirlo

• 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.

Riferimenti normativi

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

Salvo diversa indicazione, i riferimenti riguardano il diritto olandese (Burgerlijk Wetboek, il Codice Civile olandese); gli strumenti UE come il GDPR si applicano in tutta l'UE. Si tratta di informazioni generali, non di consulenza legale. Altre giurisdizioni trattano questi concetti in modo diverso. Verifichi il testo vigente e la propria situazione con un avvocato qualificato.