Commercial property
Shops, offices, sheds and commercial plots, whether you are buying one, leasing one or weighing it against a home as an investment. Start with what to check before buying, then the lease clauses and the tax on commercial rent.
Read them in this order
- 01 · 11 MIN READ
Buying commercial property: what to check
Before buying an office, shop or showroom, confirm the title, that the land use and the building plan allow commercial use, the occupancy or completion certificate, fire approval where the building needs one, the tax and maintenance position and any existing lease. GST applies only to under-construction property, and the buyer deducts 1% TDS when the price is ₹50 lakh or more.
- 02 · 11 MIN READ
Commercial vs residential property: which investment suits you?
Commercial property usually pays a higher yield on longer leases, but empty periods are longer and the cheque is bigger. How it compares with residential, and where REITs fit in.
- 03 · 11 MIN READ
Commercial lease agreements: clauses that matter
A commercial lease is mostly negotiated, not standard. Agree in writing the lock-in, the escalation, the security deposit, any rent-free fit-out period, who pays CAM and repairs, subletting and signage rights, how you exit and what you restore — and register the lease if its term needs it.
- 04 · 10 MIN READ
GST and TDS on commercial rent
Renting out commercial property attracts GST at 18%. A registered landlord charges it; where the landlord is unregistered and the tenant is GST-registered, the tenant has paid it under reverse charge since 10 October 2024 (composition tenants excluded from 16 January 2025). Separately, tax is deducted at 10% on rent for land or buildings above ₹50,000 a month — section 393(1) of the Income-tax Act, 2025, earlier section 194-I.
- 05 · 11 MIN READ
Pre-leased commercial property: how to evaluate it
A pre-leased property is sold with a tenant already paying rent. Judge it on the lease (who the tenant is, how long is left, lock-in and escalation), the tenant's ability to pay, the net yield after costs and vacancy, and what happens when the tenant leaves — not on the headline yield in the brochure.
- 06 · 7 MIN READ
Office space per seat: how to cost it properly
Build the number from the lease, not from the rent — rent is usually a little over half of what a seat costs.
- 07 · 10 MIN READ
Renting a shop: what to check
Before renting a shop, watch the street at different times, confirm the unit is approved for your trade, and check that you can get the licences your business needs — shop and establishment registration under your state's Act and the municipal trade licence — along with enough power, parking and a CAM figure you can live with.
- 08 · 7 MIN READ
Industrial shed leasing basics
Eave height, floor loading, power and land use decide whether a shed works. Rent per square foot barely does.
- 09 · 9 MIN READ
SCO plots and commercial plots: what buyers should know
An SCO (shop-cum-office) plot is a commercial plot on which the owner builds a small building with shops below and offices above, a format common in planned sectors in Haryana and Punjab. Before buying one, check the colony's licence or allotment, the permitted floors, FAR and use in the plan, whether a building plan can be sanctioned, and the deadlines for construction and completion.
- 10 · 8 MIN READ
Buying or leasing property for a school
School premises are judged by the board, the state education department, the town planner and the fire department. Choose land that passes all four before you sign.
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