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Leasing · Retail · Office · Fit-out Scroll Retail, office and the lease behind it
roof truss, bar, wood, architecture Cover story — Fit-out — 8 min read How to Schedule and Bid a Tenant Fit-Out as Contractor Backlog Reaches 8.7 Months Read the cover story ABC's September survey shows contractors with 8.7 months of work. Here is how a tenant can plan, bid and protect the schedule.

We read the lease so you sign smarter

One long read a week on commercial space, a handful of practical guides in between. Written for tenants by people who have negotiated, fitted out and moved out of more units than they care to count.

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Featured — Leasing — 7 min read Personal Guarantees in a Small Business Lease: What a Good Guy Guaranty Ruling Means for Tenants New York's top court held that a good guy guarantor's liability ended when the tenant vacated. Here is how to negotiate and protect yourself. By Maya Ferrante. Read the story ↗

Latest stories

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pencil, notebook, crumpled, paper Leasing Personal Guarantees in a Small Business Lease: What a Good Guy Guaranty Ruling Means for Tenants New York's top court held that a good guy guarantor's liability ended when the tenant vacated. Here is how to negotiate and protect yourself. By Maya Ferrante — 7 min office, classroom, office space, copy space Office Flex Office vs. a Traditional Lease in Late 2026: What 10 Desks Really Cost a Small Business Flex is now 3.1% of U.S. office stock and private desks average about $687 a month for small teams. Here is how the math compares with a lease. By Omar Saleh — 8 min construction, building construction, helmet, architecture Fit-out How to Protect a Tenant Build-Out Budget as Construction Input Prices Rise 11.2% Construction input prices were up 11.2% from a year earlier in September 2026. Here is how a tenant can lock quotes, cap escalation and size contingency before signing a build-out contract. By Colm Brady — 7 min steel shelf, industrial hall, warehouse, building Leasing Industrial Vacancy Is Near 6.5%: How a Small Business Should Lease Warehouse or Flex Space Industrial leasing hit its strongest quarter since 2022 in Q3 2026, with vacancy at 6.4% to 6.8% depending on the broker. Here is what that means for a small tenant, in numbers. By Omar Saleh — 7 min ceiling lamp, lamp, bulbs, interior design Leasing Building Performance Standards in 2026 and 2027: What Commercial Tenants Should Check in a Lease and Fit-Out Energy and emissions rules for large buildings hit deadlines from D.C. to Washington State and New Orleans. The owner is fined, but tenants often end up paying through the lease and the fit-out. By Colm Brady — 8 min apparel, boutique, bags, shoes Retail Retail Vacancy Falls to 4.3%: How a Small Retailer Should Lease in a Tight Market Colliers says national retail vacancy sits near record lows, yet small-shop demand is uneven. Here is how a small retailer or restaurant should shop for space, read the lease and avoid overpaying. By Omar Saleh — 7 min house, building, facade, architecture Office Office Vacancy Falls to 18.2%: How a Small Business Should Negotiate a Lease Now CBRE's Q3 2026 data shows prime space tightening while overall vacancy stays high. Here is where a small tenant still has leverage, and where it does not. By Omar Saleh — 7 min demolition, excavator, housebuilding, construction site Fit-out How to Budget an Office Fit-Out in 2026 as Costs Near $300 a Square Foot JLL says North American fit-out costs now average $295 per square foot and warns against waiting for prices to fall. Here is how a small tenant builds a realistic budget. By Colm Brady — 7 min people, business, meeting, business meeting Leasing Tenant rep broker fees: who pays and how much The landlord usually writes the check, but the commission is built into your rent. Here is how it is calculated and what to put in writing. By Omar Saleh — 7 min business, businessman, closing, couch Leasing Lease or buy: when an SBA 504 loan beats renting With about 10% down and a fixed rate for up to 25 years, owning your premises can cost close to rent. It only pays off if you stay put. By Maya Ferrante — 7 min architecture, building, glass, modern Fit-out How to deduct fit-out costs in 2026 Interior build-out work can usually be written off in year one under the restored 100% bonus depreciation. Exterior work and landlord-funded work cannot. By Colm Brady — 7 min wheelchair, vehicle, pavement, tile Leasing ADA compliance in a commercial lease: who actually pays Landlord and tenant are both on the hook under federal law. The lease only decides who reimburses whom, so read that clause before the rent schedule. By Maya Ferrante — 8 min

( Sections )

Long reads (05)

roof truss, bar, wood, architecture 01 / 05 Fit-out How to Schedule and Bid a Tenant Fit-Out as Contractor Backlog Reaches 8.7 Months 29 Oct — 8 min office, classroom, office space, copy space 02 / 05 Office Flex Office vs. a Traditional Lease in Late 2026: What 10 Desks Really Cost a Small Business 29 Oct — 8 min ceiling lamp, lamp, bulbs, interior design 03 / 05 Leasing Building Performance Standards in 2026 and 2027: What Commercial Tenants Should Check in a Lease and Fit-Out 28 Oct — 8 min wheelchair, vehicle, pavement, tile 04 / 05 Leasing ADA compliance in a commercial lease: who actually pays 23 Oct — 8 min pencil, notebook, crumpled, paper 05 / 05 Leasing Personal Guarantees in a Small Business Lease: What a Good Guy Guaranty Ruling Means for Tenants 29 Oct — 7 min 13 stories in the archive The whole index →
Field guide How to Protect a Tenant Build-Out Budget as Construction Input Prices Rise 11.2% Construction input prices were up 11.2% from a year earlier in September 2026. Here is how a tenant can lock quotes, cap escalation and size contingency before signing a build-out contract.
Editor’s pick — 03 / 13 Office — 8 min

Flex Office vs. a Traditional Lease in Late 2026: What 10 Desks Really Cost a Small Business

Flex is now 3.1% of U.S. office stock and private desks average about $687 a month for small teams. Here is how the math compares with a lease. By Omar Saleh.

Start here

Five to begin with
  1. roof truss, bar, wood, architecture Fit-out — 8 min How to Schedule and Bid a Tenant Fit-Out as Contractor Backlog Reaches 8.7 Months
  2. pencil, notebook, crumpled, paper Leasing — 7 min Personal Guarantees in a Small Business Lease: What a Good Guy Guaranty Ruling Means for Tenants
  3. office, classroom, office space, copy space Office — 8 min Flex Office vs. a Traditional Lease in Late 2026: What 10 Desks Really Cost a Small Business
  4. construction, building construction, helmet, architecture Fit-out — 7 min How to Protect a Tenant Build-Out Budget as Construction Input Prices Rise 11.2%
  5. steel shelf, industrial hall, warehouse, building Leasing — 7 min Industrial Vacancy Is Near 6.5%: How a Small Business Should Lease Warehouse or Flex Space

The index (12)

  1. 01 How to Schedule and Bid a Tenant Fit-Out as Contractor Backlog Reaches 8.7 Months Fit-out Guide 8 min
  2. 02 Personal Guarantees in a Small Business Lease: What a Good Guy Guaranty Ruling Means for Tenants Leasing Explainer 7 min
  3. 03 Flex Office vs. a Traditional Lease in Late 2026: What 10 Desks Really Cost a Small Business Office Explainer 8 min
  4. 04 How to Protect a Tenant Build-Out Budget as Construction Input Prices Rise 11.2% Fit-out Guide 7 min
  5. 05 Industrial Vacancy Is Near 6.5%: How a Small Business Should Lease Warehouse or Flex Space Leasing Guide 7 min
  6. 06 Building Performance Standards in 2026 and 2027: What Commercial Tenants Should Check in a Lease and Fit-Out Leasing Guide 8 min
  7. 07 Retail Vacancy Falls to 4.3%: How a Small Retailer Should Lease in a Tight Market Retail Guide 7 min
  8. 08 Office Vacancy Falls to 18.2%: How a Small Business Should Negotiate a Lease Now Office Explainer 7 min
  9. 09 How to Budget an Office Fit-Out in 2026 as Costs Near $300 a Square Foot Fit-out Guide 7 min
  10. 10 Tenant rep broker fees: who pays and how much Leasing Explainer 7 min
  11. 11 Lease or buy: when an SBA 504 loan beats renting Leasing Explainer 7 min
  12. 12 How to deduct fit-out costs in 2026 Fit-out Guide 7 min
Leasing — 28 Oct Building Performance Standards in 2026 and 2027: What Commercial Tenants Should Check in a Lease and Fit-Out By Colm Brady

( About New Club Cocoon )

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New Club Cocoon is an independent magazine about commercial property from the tenant’s side of the table: retail units, offices, the leases that bind them and the moves between them. No listings, no broker puff, just plain reporting on what the space costs, what the clauses mean and what to ask before you sign.

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