Whether you are using your warehouse space for storage or manufacturing, each property you consider leasing will have its own responsibilities and requirements. It is vital to ask questions to the landlord or property manager to ensure the warehouse space meets your needs.
As a Property Management firm, we want to ensure that our prospective tenants are aware of these important requirements and use this information to make the best decision possible when considering a warehouse property. Here are a few items that you should reflect on when leasing warehouse or industrial space:
Zoning
In order to ensure urban growth and development, land in a municipality is divided into zones. Zones provide guidelines as to what types of business or property is permitted. They can be industrial, retail, residential, and so on. It is important to look where your prospective property is located and what zone it may be placed in. Industrial lease rates may be cheaper, but if the plan for the warehouse space is retail, a landlord would have to be willing to apply for a zoning change.
Operating and Maintenance Expenses
An important aspect to daily warehousing operations is the expenses and it will be included in the lease. Consider what is included and excluded in your lease, such as roof repairs, taxes, insurance, and maintenance. Some or all of these expenses you may be responsible for as the tenant. You will also want to ask about daily maintenance expenses, such as who will be responsible for lawn and trash.
Truck Accessibility
If your warehouse space will be used for product manufacturing, it is essential to consider loading space for deliveries and pickups and whether the vehicles will need to be driven into the warehouse. You want to think about what types of trucks will be making these trips as well, an 18 wheeler or a mail service delivery truck. If you are planning on driving into the warehouse, you will need grade level loading. If these items are not installed, you will have to ask your landlord what they or the building is willing and not willing to accommodate.
Parking Lots
There are many uses of a parking lot, such as employee parking, deliveries and pickups, overnight parking, and daily use. Over time, it will require maintenance. But because of its long term expense and future property value calculations, if there is any repairs required, a property manager should be their own to pay for it. It is important to ask who would be responsible for these costs before signing a lease especially if the property has a large parking space.
Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
Oftentimes, industrial buildings are not equipped with a full building HVAC unit unless the previous tenant or landlord installed their own. Because of the units unknown history, you should not assume that it has been properly taken care of. Before signing a lease, require the landlord to have the HVAC units inspected and any repairs fixed. These should be certified in writing by a certified HVAC technician. You do not want to be held responsible for any major maintenance issues.
Footage & Floor Load
In an ideal situation, a tenant should only pay for the usable square footage of an industrial property which should be the actual space you occupy. But some landlords and property managers calculate square footage differently. Ensure that the landlord is not including unnecessary space. You will also want to ask what the floor load is or what is the maximum weight distribution capacity, especially if you are planning on driving vehicles into the warehouse.
Ceiling Height
Stacking products or operating large manufacturing equipment you will want to look at the ceiling height. Ensure you ask the property manager exact metrics. You don’t want to run into a situation where your thousands of dollars in equipment does not fit.
Electricity
Be sure to ask the landlord what power supply the building has to ensure it is meeting your electrical power needs. For any warehouse space for rent, you may want to consider hiring an electrical engineer or electrician to inspect and evaluating the building. They will be able to let you know whether the building has sufficient amperage and power to make sure no extreme situations, such as blowing a transformer, happen.
Interested In A Warehouse Space?
If you are interested in any warehouse spaces for rent, visit Schwarz Properties. We specialize in Warehouse Property Management in the Asheboro, NC region. Find your ideal warehouse or industrial space in Asheboro, NC by contacting Schwarz Properties at 336-656-2856 or visiting the website here.
