Importance of Signage for Commercial Tenants

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Branding is vital for any business, and having your company's logo and name in view of the general public and potential and current customers is a vital part of building your brand image. Companies that own their own buildings can prominently display their logos by the road or directly on the structure, but for businesses that lease commercial real estate, signage is far more complicated. Read on for the facts that you need to know about the topic:

Signage is Not Guaranteed

There is no guarantee that a landlord will provide any tenant signage. In some areas, zoning does not permit any signage at all, leaving landlords unable to advertise the names of tenants. The number of names that can appear on a building or marquee may also be restricted by space and size or by existing agreements with other tenants.

Discuss Signage is Before You Sign Your Lease

To guarantee that you receive signage, you need to have your right to this concession spelled out in your lease. That means that you need to request it during the negotiation process. If you failed to ask for signage at the time that you signed the lease, you may be able to renegotiate to have the right added if you are near the end of the contract term and are willing to extend your lease.

There are Different Types of Signage Rights

Depending on the building, your landlord's policies and the size of your company, you may be able to request:

Exclusive Building Signage

If you are the sole tenant or the anchor tenant renting multiple floors of the building, your landlord may display only your company name prominently on the facade.

Building Signage

When two tenants equally share the majority of the building, landlords may consent to placing both names on the building. In these instances, both names may be added to the top of the building or in two different locations such as the top of the building and the parking garage.

Exclusive Monument Signage

You may be able to negotiate having your company name displayed on a standalone sign or to be the only company listed on the monument sign for the building itself. Again, you will likely need to be a key tenant to get this concession.