Last month I got a question so good that I decided to write a whole newsletter about it.
The question was:
“A landlord is offering a space for a long term lease - would she lease it to me as a pop-up, for just six months or so?”
It is such a good question that I couldn’t pack a full answer into the end of our Q&A. Here’s what I said in the webinar: Don’t worry about what a landlord will or won’t let you do. Instead, stay true to YOUR business plan and make a plan that works for YOU.
But, let’s assume you’ve done just that and concluded that it does work for your business plan to pursue a short term deal. Would a landlord even be willing to entertain it?
The short answer is maybe. Deal...
Are Free Rent and TIs a Scam?
When I studied abroad in Florence, one of the very first things our professoressa told us about Italy was that "niente è libero" - nothing is free. (She also taught us that bottled water is more expensive than wine, and to always carry proper bus fare.)
All these years later, I still remember it, and I feel my "niente è libero" spidey senses tingling when I see an offer that seems too good to be true.
Like a free drink from a handsome stranger at the discoteca. Like a pair of very real looking Ferragamos selling for a fraction of MSRP. Like when a retail landlord offers TI ($$ towards your buildout) or free rent at the start of your lease.
Are landlord...
