Commercial lease laws by state
Commercial leases are mostly governed by what the lease says, but each state adds rules that change the deal for a tenant. Pick your state to see what applies there.
ArizonaArizona commercial lease review: cities lost the power to tax residential rent in 2025 but not commercial rent, and A.R.S. 33-362 gives landlords a lien.CaliforniaCalifornia commercial lease review: check the CASp accessibility statement Civil Code 1938 requires, deposit return deadlines and SB 1103 cost rules.ColoradoColorado commercial lease review: nonresidential tenants get 3 days to pay or cure under C.R.S. 13-40-104, while residential tenants get 10.FloridaFlorida commercial lease review: sales tax on commercial rent ended for periods from October 1, 2025, but court registry rent deposits still apply.GeorgiaGeorgia commercial lease review: a landlord must give 60 days notice to end a tenancy at will, and may distrain for rent if you try to move property out.IllinoisIllinois commercial lease review: 735 ILCS 5/9-213.1 makes every landlord mitigate damages, while distress for rent lets it seize your property.MassachusettsMassachusetts commercial lease review: G.L. c. 184 section 18 bars recovering possession outside court, and nonpayment needs a 14-day notice to quit.MichiganMichigan commercial lease review: MCL 600.2918 protects any tenant in possession from lockouts, with no commercial exception and no lease waiver.New JerseyNew Jersey commercial lease review: the Security Deposit Act text covers any real property, so deposits must be held in trust with interest owed to you.New YorkNew York commercial lease review: Manhattan tenants south of 96th Street paying $250,000+ in rent may owe the 3.9% NYC Commercial Rent Tax.North CarolinaNorth Carolina commercial lease review: G.S. 42-3 implies forfeiture if rent stays unpaid 10 days after demand, and a month-to-month ends on 7 days notice.OhioOhio commercial lease review: cognovit clauses work in business leases only with the warning R.C. 2323.13 requires, and eviction needs just 3 days notice.PennsylvaniaPennsylvania commercial lease review: confession of judgment clauses still work for business leases, and Philadelphia adds a 1.21% Use and Occupancy Tax.TexasTexas commercial lease review: a landlord may change your locks for late rent under Property Code 93.002 and holds a statutory lien on your property.VirginiaVirginia commercial lease review: Va. Code 55.1-1415 allows peaceable self-help eviction of a nonresidential tenant after a 5-day rent notice.WashingtonWashington commercial lease review: commercial tenants get only 3 days to pay before unlawful detainer under RCW 59.12.030, versus 14 days for residential.