Shell Lease

A shell lease is a commercial lease in which a tenant rents a property with an unfinished interior to which he or she will finish construction and make improvements. The rented property is an unfinished "shell" of a building, often a unit in a new shopping center, where the tenant must complete construction and add any necessary furniture, fixtures and equipment.

A shell lease exists in many forms depending on the work that has already been completed on the property and the work that remains to be done. The tenant in a shell lease, for example, might undertake considerable portions of the construction by installing ceilings, interior walls, lighting, plumbing, elevators, wiring and heating, and ventilation and cooling (HVAC) systems. A shell lease specifies the construction and improvements for which both the landlord and tenant are responsible. Often the landlord will provide a financial incentive to the renter for completing the work.

Tenants and landlords may see a shell lease as a mutually beneficial option. The minimal, unfinished interior of the space means the tenant will install features and infrastructure that is needed. Amenities will not be wasted because on the services and structures that the tenant needs will be installed. A shell lease is also an opportunity for tenants to design the space for their specific needs. If the property is a warehouse or industrial space, the tenant could have loading ports created or special storage units installed for the type of goods they will bring in. The tenant might want to combine the industrial activities with a showroom on the premises. A shell lease would allow them to create the exact type of space they want.

Different types of shells and shell leases exist. A “cold shell” is a space that has no furnishings, infrastructure, heat or plumbing. This is effectively a skeleton of a building. The tenant would need to plan for an extensive build-out of the property. A “warm” shell, by comparison, could have heat and some other features already in place. The rest of the property would need to be fleshed out.

Companies that want to make a lasting mark with the space they occupy might pursue a shell lease. Such an agreement would let the tenant design their offices and define how their operations would be established. Tenants could make the property conform to their corporate brand and standards rather than force the company to adjust to its new space.