
Triple Net Lease Meaning
- A triple net lease (NNN) lease is a commercial property agreement—in addition to rent, the lessee pays maintenance charges, property taxes, and insurance.
- The NNN lease amount is determined using the capitalization rate. ...
- The monthly lease value is calculated as follows:
- Base Rent + Common Area Maintenance + Property Tax + Property Insurance / 12
What does the landlord pay in a triple net lease?
What does the landlord pay for in a triple net lease? In commercial real estate, the most common form of net lease is the “triple net” lease, often referred to as net-net-net lease or NNN lease. With a triple net lease, the business tenant is responsible for most costs, including the base rent, property taxes, insurance, utilities and maintenance.
What expenses can a triple net (NNN) lease cover?
Under triple net leases, the tenant pays for the property’s taxes, insurance, and maintenance in addition to the rental rate. The property owner covers structural damage and mortgage payments. The term length of an NNN building lease or office space lease typically ranges between 10 and 25 years.
What you should know about the triple net (NNN) lease?
Who Pays for a New Roof in a Triple Net Lease?
- Understand the Triple Net Lease. The first thing you need to know is how the NNN lease works. ...
- Owner’s Responsibilities. Assuming that your NNN lease is not absolute, the owner’s responsibilities could be as numerous as the tenant’s, or they could be less.
- Tenant’s Responsibilities. ...
- Roofing and NN Leasing. ...
- Negotiation is the Key. ...
What does triple net mean when leasing office space?
What Is a Triple Net (NNN) Lease? A triple net lease, also known as an NNN Lease, is a lease in which the tenant agrees to pay their pro-rata share of all expenses associated with property maintenance, taxes, and insurance, in addition to a predetermined base rental rate. These expenses are commonly referred to as operating expenses.

Why would you want a triple net lease?
The most obvious benefit of using a triple net lease for a tenant is a lower price point for the base lease. Since the tenant is absorbing at least some of the taxes, insurance, and maintenance expenses, a triple net lease features a lower monthly rent than a gross lease agreement.
What is an example of a triple net lease?
Double net leases include property taxes and insurance premiums, in addition to the base rent. A triple net lease includes property taxes, insurance, and maintenance costs, in addition to the base rent.
What are the pros and cons of a triple net lease?
Triple Net Lease Pros and ConsMinimal Landlord Responsibilities. ... Long-Term Occupancy. ... Reliable Passive Income. ... Leases are Transferable. ... Protection from Expense Increases. ... Limited Upside Potential. ... Turnover Risks.
Is a triple net lease a good investment?
A triple net lease is a good investment wheel because it provides steady and predictable returns over time with minimal risk involved.
Can you depreciate a triple net lease?
Depreciation: Because triple net leased properties tend to be highly leveraged, depreciation taken by the owner may produce a “loss” that can be used to offset other taxable income.
How does Triple Net work?
In a Triple Net lease, the tenant pays a base rent plus all or part of the three “nets”–property taxes, insurance, and common area expenses (“CAMS”). Common area utilities and operating expenses are usually lumped in as well (ie the cost of security or a front desk attendant).
How common is triple net lease?
Triple net leases are widely popular among commercial real estate landlords, and as you search for your next office space, you're sure to come across this type of lease. This common lease is sometimes written as “NNN,” an abbreviation of “net, net, net.”
What is the difference between triple net and full service lease?
The triple net (NNN) lease is a lease structure where the tenant is responsible for paying all operating expenses associated with a property. This is in contrast to a full service lease where the landlord is responsible for paying all operating expenses associated with a property.
What is $25 NNN?
I see too many people make the mistake of looking at online commercial real estate listings and thinking that $25 nnn meant they only have to pay $25 sf when in reality they are responsible for paying $25 sf PLUS the estimated NNN. Also keep in mind that the NNN are estimated each year.
Do Triple Net properties increase in value?
These properties are an excellent addition to any portfolio because they offer greater cash flow, appreciation potential, and diversification. For example, in California NNN Properties have historically appreciated about 8% per year which is significantly higher than other types of property investments.
How is triple net lease calculated?
Calculating a Triple Net Lease Triple net leases are calculated by adding the yearly taxes on the property and the insurance for the space together and dividing that amount by the building total rental square footage.
How do you invest in Triple Net?
How to Invest in Triple Net PropertiesDetermine Your Preferred Investment Returns. ... Find A Triple Net Lease Advisor. ... Set Your Tenant and Term Criteria. ... Find The Right Lending Partner. ... Compare Opportunities and Submit an Offer. ... Perform Thorough Due Diligence on The Asset and Tenant.
What is the difference between a gross lease and a triple net lease?
A triple net lease is the flipside to a gross lease, where the tenant pays a simplified, all-inclusive rent to the landlord, who uses that cash to cover the expenses of running the building as they see fit.
What does NNN include?
NNN stands for net, net net which are the property's operating expenses (taxes, insurance, & common area maintenance fees) that the owner passes through to tenants. Keep in mind that the NNN are in ADDITION to the base rent that you negotiate.
How is triple net lease calculated?
Calculating a Triple Net Lease Triple net leases are calculated by adding the yearly taxes on the property and the insurance for the space together and dividing that amount by the building total rental square footage.
How is NNN calculated?
Calculating NNN Leases Dividing the yearly base amount by 12 months will give you $5,000 as the monthly base amount. As for the NNN or other expenses, the landlord advertised $5. You multiply $5 with the square footage (2,000 sq. ft.) to get an annual fee of $10,000.
What is a Triple Net Lease?
A triple net lease , also called NNN leases, is a legal contract between commercial tenants and landlords. Under triple net leases, the tenant pays for the property’s taxes, insurance, and maintenance in addition to the rental rate. The property owner covers structural damage and mortgage payments.
What Does the Landlord Pay in a Triple Net Lease?
A triple net lease passes many significant operating and maintenance expenses on to the tenant. However, they don’t cover all costs, and the owner is responsible for making mortgage payments and making structural repairs to electrical systems, exterior walls, HVAC systems, plumbing systems, and roofs as needed.
What is triple net lease?
A triple net lease is one of three types of net leases, a type of real estate lease where a tenant pays one or more additional expenses. Net leases generally include property taxes, property insurance premiums, or maintenance costs, and are often used in commercial real estate. In addition to triple net leases, ...
How to calculate triple net lease?
Sometimes landlords will add up all the property taxes, insurance, maintenance expenses, and common area expenses for a building and divide the total by 12. This number is the monthly cost.
What is net lease?
Key Takeaways. A net lease is a real estate lease in which a tenant pays one or more additional expenses. In a single net lease, the tenant pays a lower base rent in addition to property taxes. Double net leases include property taxes and insurance premiums, in addition to the base rent.
Why do tenants pay property taxes on triple net leases?
Because tenants in a triple net lease are responsible for paying property taxes, they may be able to build these expenses into their business expenses and achieve some tax benefits for their business .
Why do landlords include property taxes in rent payments?
For example, a tenant may miss or make late payments to the municipality, which means the landlord is on the hook for them. These may result in fines and/or additional fees. That's why most landlords include the property taxes in the rent payments. They prefer that the payment passes through them so they know the taxes are paid on time and in the correct amount.
Why do renters pay lower rent?
Tenants under a single net lease end up paying slightly lower rent than with a standard lease because of the added cost of property taxes. But a higher rental payment doesn't alleviate the landlord's responsibility for keeping these expenses up to date.
What is included in double net lease?
Double net leases include property taxes and insurance premiums, in addition to the base rent.
What is triple net lease?
What is a Triple Net Lease? Triple Net Lease is a type of lease agreement between the lessee and the lessor in which the lessee or the tenant of the property agrees for not only the paying the rent and utilities expenses, but also other property-related expenses such as insurance of the building, maintenance of the building, property taxes, etc. ...
How much income do you need to lease a triple net?
Or else, The investor should have an income of $200,000 or $300,000 if you are applying as ...
What Benefits the Lessee Would get?
Does the lessee not want the benefit from the lease too? The answer is yes, and the lessee also gets the advantage in triple net lease . Since the lessor doesn’t need to pay for insurance, taxes, and maintenance, the lessee doesn’t need to pay to do much rent for the properties she takes. As a result, the lessee can save a lot of money on rent by agreeing to go for such a lease. However, this is the only benefit a lessee gets from this lease. This can often be in hidden form. You should talk to your attorney before going for any lease so that you don’t get stuck in such a lease. If you have any term like “turnkey” in your lease agreement, the chances are that agreement is triple net.
What does built in rent escalation mean?
It means, every year, the investor would get an increment in the lease amount. As a result, there are no worries about a return, and the investor would get more return every year.
What happens if you have a turnkey lease?
If you have any term like “turnkey” in your lease agreement, the chances are that agreement is triple net. As a lessee, the expenses may exceed the benefit you receive.
Is triple net lease good?
A triple net lease is beneficial, but it’s vital in which side you’re in. and going for this net lease, then it would be beneficial for you. But if you’re accepting it as a lessee, then it’s better to avoid because the benefits you would get is lower compared to the payment you need to pay.
What is triple net lease?
A triple net lease, also known as an NNN Lease, is a lease in which the tenant agrees to pay their pro-rata share of all expenses associated with property maintenance, taxes, and insurance, in addition to a predetermined base rental rate . These expenses are commonly referred to as operating expenses .
What is the advantage of triple net lease?
From a tenant’s perspective, the advantage of a triple net lease is that if the landlord overestimates the op/ex, you’re not obligated to pay that rate. Additionally , if the property’s operating expenses drop for any reason, you will see that directly reflected in your gross rent.
What is free rent?
Free Rent is another type of incentive that landlords often offer on long-term leases. Exactly like it sounds, free rent is when a landlord offers a few months of rent at no cost at the beginning of the tenant’s lease. Note, in a triple net lease, free rent typically only applies to base rent, and the tenant is still responsible for operating ...
What is TI allowance?
A tenant improvement (TI) allowance is a type of incentive offered by landlords to encourage tenants to sign a lease. Usually, the landlord offers the tenant a dollar amount per square foot to build out their office, retail or industrial space.
Is it hard to budget for annual rental?
On the other hand, because operating expenses can vary year to year, it can be harder to budget for your annual rental expenses. In addition to your rental rate and operating expenses, there are other elements of a NNN lease that can affect your overall financial obligation.
Is a triple net lease free rent?
Note, in a triple net lease, free rent typically only applies to base rent, and the tenant is still responsible for operating expenses during this time. In Austin, most office leases are structured on a triple net basis. However, there are a number of other lease types that you may see in other markets. These include:
What is a triple net lease?
Triple net leases, also called NNN leases, are legal contracts between a lessor and a lessee. In the agreement, the lessee tenant pays rent and a pro-rata share of operating costs, including taxes, insurance, and common area maintenance (CAM). A NNN lease is most commonly used for commercial real estate transactions.
How does triple net lease work?
A triple net lease works by a commercial property owner leasing a building or space to a tenant. However, instead of including all taxes, insurance, and common area maintenance (CAM) in the rent amount, the tenant pays an equal portion based on square footage. This outcome contrasts traditional commercial lease agreements where the landlord is either responsible for these costs or passes them along to tenants at a higher rate and with fewer options.
When is a triple net lease a good idea?
A triple net lease is a good idea when landlords want a reliable source of income with lower overhead costs. At the same time, tenants receive the benefit of customizing their units and achieving brand consistency. Another advantage is that these leases are frequently quite flexible in terms of tax and insurance increases. Additionally, the landlord is not required to be actively involved in the property’s management.
What is net lease?
Under a net lease, the tenant may be required to pay a portion of the taxes based on a percentage of the building, but not maintenance or insurance costs. This lease type contrasts triple net since the latter requires insurance and maintenance costs.
What is the responsibility of a NNN tenant?
In many cases, property management and accounting costs are the tenants’ responsibility in a NNN lease. How you choose to structure your agreements depends on several factors, including geographic region, industry, building size, building use, and more. You should seek legal help if you need advice when drafting this type of agreement.
Is triple net lease the only type of lease?
Although triple net leases are frequently used in commercial real estate, they are not the only type of lease. There are numerous lease types, and each has a slightly different definition depending upon the perspective of the professional and industry.
Who is responsible for paying for everything under an absolute lease?
The tenant is responsible for paying for everything and may even be responsible for maintaining everything under an absolute lease. If the roof begins to leak, the tenant may be required to contact their roofer and make repairs, for example.
What is triple net lease?
With a triple net lease, in addition to paying rent, tenants are also responsible for paying property taxes, insurance, and maintenance on the property they are le asing. This means that the tenant will typically pay a lower base rent than they would with a gross lease. You are probably more familiar with a gross lease; most residential leases are gross leases. In a gross lease, the landlord handles all of the expenses and factors them into the tenant’s monthly base rent upfront.
Why do landlords use triple net leases?
For one thing, it provides a predictable flow of income. Landlords also don’t have to stress over rising property taxes or insurance costs because the tenant handles those expenses. The primary cash flow risk for landlords is if the tenant defaults on the lease.
What are the drawbacks of triple net leases?
In some scenarios, there is limited upside for landlords because the returns are not guaranteed to keep up with the pace of inflation over the course of the 10+ year lease. It is best to think of this lease type as similar to a treasury or municipal bond because those offer a fixed return rate, just with a different credit rating. Also, after a property has been occupied by the same tenant for 10+ years, the space may require significant tenant improvements to make it suitable for the next tenant.
Why is it important to have strict maintenance guidelines included in a lease?
Because the building’s maintenance is managed by the tenant, an irresponsible renter may choose to let certain repairs slip through the cracks or use cheap band-aid solutions to mask larger issues. If this happens, you as the landlord may be responsible for covering costly repairs that have been left untouched over the lease’s 10+ year period. To keep this from happening, it is advisable to have strict maintenance guidelines included in the lease.
Do triple net leases require management?
Triple net leases also do not require a tremendous amount of management. The landlord is only responsible for taking care of bookkeeping, tax returns, and financing decisions when they arise.
Is triple net lease good?
In conclusion, there are several pros and cons to a triple net lease. Landlords who want to avoid the stress and confusion of paying taxes, maintenance, and insurance can enjoy the benefits of having a tenant in place to maintain those costs. On the flip side, it could prove to be a more expensive option in the long-term if the tenant doesn’t properly maintain the space. For tenants, it could be a cost-effective option to get discounted rent and manage the property taxes and expenses on their own. However, it could also prove to be more expensive in the long-term if taxes and various other expenses see a significant increase over the 10+ year lease period. Both landlords and tenants should take careful precautions and fully review the lease prior to committing to this lease structure.
What are the expenses of a triple net lease?
Depending on the property, utilities and janitorial may also be included in the Operating Expenses or CAM. With a Triple Net Lease, you typically pay the landlord one check per month, but that check is broken down into two main categories: 1 The Base Rent Amount 2 The Triple Net Amount (or NNN)
Why are triple net leases so popular?
They’re easier for tenants to secure, because they take some of the burden of property oversight and investment off of the landlord, such as building insurance and maintenance expenses. Since the tenant absorbs at least part of these expenses, they are able to secure a lower monthly rent ...
How are base rent and triple net expenses calculated?
Both your base rental costs and your triple net lease expenses are calculated on the square footage of the property that you occupy and lease. For example, if you leased a 2,000 SF space with a $24 per SF Base Rent (or lease rate) and $8 per SF Triple Net, the breakdown of payments would be:
What are the obligations of triple net leases?
There are also additional obligations s to Triple Net leases you need to be aware of. In exchange for receiving a lower price per square foot on your monthly base rent, the tradeoff is that you must be willing to take on the risk of the unknown. There could be a natural disaster that causes significant damage to the property — for which you are now responsible. Or there could be a system or machine failure, such as the HVAC goes down (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) that requires you to invest a large amount of money into repair costs or increased rent and utilities.
What is important to understand before signing a lease?
Prior to agreeing on terms for a property and moving forward to a draft lease, it’s important to understand the different types of lease structures and clauses. Those clauses affect how much you are going to pay for base rent and what other obligations or expenses get charged to you in the future, such as property taxes, insurance, and common area maintenance costs. Understanding this will help you properly evaluate all your options so you can confidently move forward with a particular property.
How to get a lease review?
If you are signing a legally binding document that is drafted by an opposing party , it needs to be properly reviewed and explained to you. Finding an experienced tenant/buyer representative who understands the ins and outs of each type of net lease will provide you, not only peace of mind, but typically tens of thousands of dollars or more in savings from lower rent costs and higher concessions over the lifetime of your lease.
Is tenant representation necessary?
No matter what stage of your practice you’re in, professional tenant representation is a necessity. We’re here to keep your healthcare practice safe from financial liability and extra expenses to ensure you’re set up for the most successful future.
What does a landlord pay for in a triple net lease?
What Does the Landlord Pay for in a Triple-Net Lease? A triple-net lease (NNN) property is an investment in which the landlord has very few, if any, costs or responsibilities associated with leasing the property. The tenant agrees to a long-term lease that requires paying the “net” amount for three types of costs.
What is an absolute NNN lease?
As an “absolute NNN lease” investor, you do nothing but collect rent checks while the tenant takes care of everything. Many national corporations that want brand uniformity, such as Applebee’s, CVS Pharmacy, and Dunkin Donuts and many more, choose to operate with this type of NNN lease, which completely absolves the landlord from any financial or physical responsibility whatsoever. They willingly do their own maintenance, use their own vendors, order their own signage, pay for CAM and operating expenses over and above CAM, and capital expenditures.
Does NNN pay operational expenses?
NNN Operational Expenses Defined. There are many different operating expenses that need to be clearly defined and paid for by either the landlord or the tenant as outlined in the terms of the lease. However, in most NNN leases, the landlord does not pay operational expenses and capital expenditures during the lease term.
Is there a landlord expense when leasing a NNN property?
There are few, if any, landlord expenses when it comes to leasing a NNN property. As you contemplate your triple-net investment possibilities, watch for hidden responsibilities in what may appear to be an attractive lease that, as a buyer, you may not know about nor want. That’s why the selection of a reputable “buyer’s broker” is very important in the process. He or she will thoroughly evaluate the lease and ensure your best interests are represented.
