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If you are like most owners, you've experienced an increase in vacancies and have probably resorted to taking on smaller, non-traditional tenants to fill your buildings and centers. While this strategy works in the short term, it carries a substantial amount of risk, as many of the smaller tenants often have a limited—or sometimes nonexistent—financial track record.

All signs point to the economy getting worse before it gets better. So, more than likely, you are going to have your fair share of tenant bankruptcies. Be prepared by negotiating certain bankruptcy protections with all your tenants.

U.S. retail sales dropped 2.8 percent in October, and analysts don't expect the situation to improve anytime soon. The bad news has owners all over the country wondering how they're going to maintain a steady stream of revenue during this dismal holiday shopping season. Some are banking on kiosks—small, independent stands that sell merchandise—to supplement their income. But this approach, if not handled properly, can be more trouble than it's worth, says Minnesota attorney Barry W. McKee Jr.

Because tenants often seek financing to help them run their businesses, you probably get several requests from tenants each month for a landlord's lien waiver. Without the lien waiver, a tenant's lender may refuse to go through with the loan, or an equipment lessor may refuse to lease expensive equipment to the tenant. A lien waiver typically states that you agree to waive a valuable right—that is, the right to take possession of the tenant's personal property if it doesn't pay its rent.

Hurricane Ike's push into Texas, home of nearly one quarter of the nation's refining capacity, had a significant impact on gas prices across the nation. Several states, many of which were not in the tropical storm's path, saw gas prices that surpassed the $4 a gallon mark, with some consumers paying as much as $5.09 per gallon.

A cell phone service provider's offer to lease a portion of your building's rooftop may seem like easy money. But if you agree to the provisions in a standard rooftop lease without carefully analyzing each clause in the agreement, you will probably regret the decision.

We'll review the seven main clauses in a standard rooftop lease agreement and make suggestions for negotiating lease language that's more owner-friendly than the industry's boilerplate.

The safety of your tenants and their employees and customers is vital to the success of your business'as well as to your peace of mind. You don't want to wait until you are faced with an emergency, such as a fire, to find out that you don't have an adequate emergency response and evacuation plan.