Your first order of business is to negotiate the term, or duration, of the lease and the rent you will pay, which is usually figured per square foot. Leases typically include an option to renew at the end of the term, at either a specified rental rate or “prevailing market conditions.”
Small-business advisers generally recommend the shortest term possible. The advantages of a short-term lease are clear: Your church won’t be trapped in a space if things don’t go well — or go so well that the church needs more space. The disadvantage is that landlords are less likely to grant concessions to tenants that won’t promise to stay for, say, five years.
