An owner of commercial real estate is usually concerned with at least five types of expenses:  (1) property taxes; (2) property insurance; (3) CAM expenses (the cost of common area maintenance, e.g. parking lots, sidewalks, and landscaping); (4) utilities; and (5) janitorial services.

Sometimes commercial landlords and tenants are so eager to sign a written lease agreement that they neglect to include all of the essential terms that will govern the relationship. When this happens, it is likely that the parties do not even have an enforceable contract. 

We need the oxygen trees produce to survive, but certain trees are a nuisance, including that one that is in your neighbor’s yard. Yes, you know the one. Here are some quick tips to help you understand how Utah law deals with tree disputes.

Almost all commercial leases have a provision that in some form or another prohibits the tenant from subleasing to a third party without the landlord’s prior written consent. But what would happen if the tenant ignored that provision, subleased the property without the landlord’s knowledge, and made money off of the sublease? Would the landlord be entitled to collect that money from the tenant?

Fact scenario: A commercial tenant breaches the lease. There are three years left on the term of the lease. The commercial landlord is therefore damaged in the amount of monthly rent for the 36 months left on the lease. But, the landlord may not be able to hold the tenant liable for all 36 months of rent. The landlord must take reasonable steps to find a new tenant and thereby reduce or “mitigate" the damages. 

John Doe is an aspiring entrepreneur and wants to lease a building for his brilliant restaurant idea. John Doe sets up ABC Restaurant, Inc. ABC Restaurant, Inc. and the landlord enter a five-year lease. The landlord incurs $30,000 in tenant improvement expenses. 



No. A landlord cannot lawfully evict a tenant by taking matters into his or her own hands, changing the locks, removing the tenant's property, etc. All evictions must go through the court. Only after a court issues an order allowing the landlord to change locks and remove property can these things be done.

The security deposit is one of the most hotly disputed issues in landlord tenant relationships. Here are some things you should know as a residential Utah landlord to help protect you when these disputes arise.

Many leases are long, have huge paragraphs, tiny font, and use a lot of legalese. Like Muffy from Arthur said, "It's exactly what we talked about, just written in a way no one can understand."

How does a landlord evict a residential tenant? Here is how the process works in a nutshell. Note that this is for a tenant renting a place to live (residential tenant), not a tenant renting a place to operate a business (commercial tenant). A contested eviction can usually be accomplished in three steps.