Healthcare is a huge industry today and every type of healthcare provider requires medical office space in which to perform their practice. Whether the medical office space provides clinical services, diagnostic services, laboratory services or another niche of healthcare services, the needs of these providers differ greatly from the traditional office rental lease template. Here are a few of the most important issues and concerns to be aware of securing a medical office space lease that will help meet the unique needs of healthcare providers.

Convenience: All healthcare providers need to be in locations convenient to their patients. Competition can be fierce among healthcare providers and unless the office space is convenient, patients will simply go elsewhere. However, this is also true of traditional retail and office space. There is a larger concern with healthcare facilities; they need to have convenient access for handicapped visitors and those who are seriously ill. They need parking that is convenient to the entrance, wheelchair ramps available, and in some cases, it must be easy for patients on crutches to access.

Biohazards: No matter what type of healthcare practitioner is requesting your assistance in securing office space, there will be concerns about biohazards. There will likely be human biohazardous wastes collected and disposed of by the office space. Diagnostic equipment such as CT scanners or X-ray machines pose other hazards. Some landlords may be hesitant to consider the modifications required for such equipment. Special shielding, unique to the medical field, may have to be installed. In most cases, these situations will violate the standard lease language and need to be modified.

Tenant Finish: Medical facilities have especially unique requirements when it comes to remodeling the inside of office space. Traditionally, owners prefer to have any tenant finish performed by their own contractors, usually those that have performed similar remodeling for the in the past. Healthcare providers often require specialists to properly and safely remodel the leased office space. Often, the landlord will need to understand that the tenant finish will have to be done by contractors with whom they are not familiar. The property owner should retain the right to inspect work in progress and verify that mechanics liens are not attached on the property.
 
ADA: Medical facilities often require access for patients with special needs such as wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, and canes. They are, therefore, more likely than average to be scrutinized for Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.  While the use may drive the need for additional ADA compliance, they will also want to avoid lease terms that cause them to pay the costs incurred for ensuring the building meets the strict compliance required. In most cases, the tenant will want to negotiate lease language that places this burden on the landlord.

Use: The use of traditional office space is outlined in the lease and is quite limited when viewed in terms of medical office space use. Wording which bars hazardous materials and biomedical wastes must be changed to prevent lease violations. The traditional boilerplate lease simply won’t work when dealing with the special needs of healthcare providers.
 
These are only a few of the areas of leasing medical office space that should be addressed by healthcare providers. Carefully read all lease language to ensure a healthcare provider can operate their practice within the language which is negotiated with the landlord.

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Leasing Medical Office Space - Part 2