Lease an Office or Guest House

For Warehouse Leasing, click here.

The country program should give you a lease template.  That template should have been reviewed by local lawyers and meet all HQ standards.

But, if there is no CP and the region doesn’t have anything, use the following templates:

Lease Template for Office

Lease Template for Residence

Lease Agreement Review Checklist  You should use this to review any draft lease

There are three things you should do before signing any lease:

  1. Make sure the person who will sign the lease with you actually owns the property and/or has the authority to sign the lease.

    You’ll need to see (and make a copy of) the title or other proof of ownership and some form of official identification of the person who will sign the lease.  If the person who will sign the lease is a relative or other representative of the owner, you’ll need a document from the official owner giving the person power to sign the lease.  And you’ll need a copy of both persons’ IDs.

  2. Find out about Typical Terms and Conditions in the Area

    Talk to other NGOs/partner organizations in the area before discussing a lease with the owner, to get an idea of rental prices and any special terms/conditions that may be considered normal for that area.

  3. Discuss and List Renovation Plans

    Before signing a lease, make sure to discuss with the landlord any renovations you plan to undertake.   Discuss them in detail.  List improvements that CRS will leaving behind once the lease is over (e.g., permanent structures, plumbing and wiring improvements) and what CRS will take with it (e.g. solar panels, generators, water storage tanks, water heaters).  You’ll want to make sure the landlord agrees to the renovations.

    Also, some renovations may be highly valued by the owner, and if so, the anticipated value of these additions can be used to negotiate a reduced rental rate, a longer lease, or better renewal conditions.

    In other cases, the owner may want aspects of his property restored to their original state and we should know that before we enter into the contract.

    All renovations and agreements about how the property will be left must be detailed in the lease.