Somerville Commercial Lease Handbook

Led by the City of Somerville in collaboration with MAPC, The Lease Handbook: Protecting your Small Business is a tool for small business owners in Somerville to learn about commercial leases, how to negotiate a lease with a landlord, and the support available to business owners and entrepreneurs.

The Lease Handbook provides small business owners with the information and resources needed to advocate for themselves and to stay in business long-term. It is available in the four languages most commonly spoken by business owners in Somerville: English, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, and  Spanish.

While tailored to the needs of businesses in Somerville, the Handbook content – such as steps to take before signing a lease, negotiation basics, key elements to negotiate, and common leasing terms and definitions – are applicable to small business owners across Massachusetts.