The Lease League

Your side of
the table.

We educate, empower, and represent small business owners in commercial lease negotiations. Not landlords. Not listing brokers. You.

Most small business owners sign a commercial lease without understanding what they agreed to. The landlord's attorney wrote that document. We make sure you know exactly what's in it — and how to negotiate it — before you sign anything.

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14+
Education modules
25+
Clause templates
$0
Hidden fees to learn
26yr
Real estate & marketing exp.

Why this exists

You were told
there's only one way
to lease.

There isn't. But the lease document in front of you was written by the landlord's attorney to protect the landlord. Every clause you don't understand is leverage you've given away before you've even started.

NNN means you pay taxes, insurance, and maintenance on top of your rent. CAM charges can increase year over year. A personal guarantee puts your personal assets on the line. Most tenants don't find out what any of this means until after they've signed. We built this so you don't have to find out the hard way.

From a real commercial lease
"Tenant shall pay, as additional rent, Tenant's proportionate share of all real property taxes, assessments, insurance premiums, and costs of maintenance and repair of all Common Areas..."
△  Most tenants skip this paragraph.
NNN.
Most misunderstood term in commercial real estate
CAM.
Variable charge most tenants never audit
TI.
Improvement money left on the table constantly
PG.
Personal exposure most owners don't understand

The three traps

What costs tenants
the most money.

Trap 01 — The Hidden Cost Trap
You're paying more
than your rent.
Base rent is just the starting point. NNN, CAM, insurance, taxes, property management fees — these stack on top. Tenants routinely pay 20 to 40 percent more per month than the number they negotiated. They just didn't know what they were agreeing to.
CAM reconciliation notice: Your 2024 actual expenses exceeded estimates by $14,220. Balance due within 30 days.
Trap 02 — The Personal Liability Trap
Your LLC isn't
protecting you.
A personal guarantee bypasses your business entity entirely. If the business fails, the landlord can come after your personal assets — home, savings, everything. Most tenants sign personal guarantees without realizing there are alternatives, limits, and negotiation angles.
Clause 14.2: Guarantor personally and unconditionally guarantees all obligations of Tenant for the full lease term.
Trap 03 — The Pass-Through Trap
The landlord's expenses
become yours.
Pass-through clauses let landlords bill tenants for roof repairs, HVAC replacements, landscaping overhauls, and property management fees. Without caps and exclusions negotiated up front, you can be on the hook for costs you never anticipated and had no control over.
Clause 9.4: Tenant shall pay its pro-rata share of all operating expenses including capital expenditures as determined by Landlord.

The course covers all three traps — and every clause in between.

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The scoreboard

With us. Without us.

This is what changes when you walk into the negotiation knowing what we know.

With The Lease League Without
You understand what NNN means before you sign ✓ ✗
CAM charges are capped in your lease ✓ ✗
Personal guarantee is limited or structured fairly ✓ ✗
TI allowance was negotiated before you signed ✓ ✗
You have an early termination option ✓ ✗
Your broker is representing you, not the building ✓ ✗
You know what questions to ask before you start ✓ ✗
View Course → Learn every item on this list before your next negotiation.

How it works

Three ways to get
to the other side.

Step 01 — Learn
The course that pays
for itself at signing.
Months of production distilled into structured modules covering every stage of a commercial lease — from your first walkthrough to your final signature. Enroll once, use it every time you negotiate. We also make select free resources available through the community because a more informed tenant is a better client for everyone.
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Step 02 — Workshop
Learn it live,
before you sign.
Live workshops at chambers of commerce across California. We walk through a real lease, flag the 8 to 10 clauses that cost tenants the most, and answer every question in the room. No sales pitch. Just the playbook.
Step 03 — Represent
We sit at
your table.
When you're ready to negotiate and want a broker in your corner who represents only you, never the landlord, we can be that. Twenty-six years of Ventura County market experience. One side of the table. Yours.

The library

Start with the questions
you're already asking.

Every page in The Lease League answers a real question a real tenant has asked. Not the question a real estate attorney would ask. The question you typed into Google at midnight before your lease signing.

The full course launches through our Skool community. Enroll to get structured modules, templates, and direct access. Free resources are also available for members — sign up below to get the lease checklist.

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Know the language
What does NNN actually mean for a tenant?
Triple net means you are not just paying rent. You are paying your share of the building's taxes, insurance, and maintenance — and those numbers change every year.
Know the game
What does the listing broker not tell you?
The listing broker works for the landlord. Full stop. Here is what they know going into that negotiation that most tenants don't find out until after they sign.
Know your rights
Can I actually negotiate a commercial lease?
Yes. Almost everything in a commercial lease is negotiable. The landlord's first draft is the opening play. Here's how to push back.
Your playbook
The 10 things to negotiate before you sign anything.
CAM caps, personal guarantee limits, early termination rights — the ten clauses that cost tenants the most, and exactly what to ask for instead.

Who built this

Real experience.
Your side.

The Lease League was built by two people who got tired of watching small business owners walk into commercial lease negotiations unprepared. Both sides of the table have professionals. Tenants deserve one too.

Sam Benner
Co-Founder — Area Leader, Y Realty
Twenty-six years of real estate and marketing experience in Ventura County. Area Leader at Y Realty. Coach for agents nationally through A Brilliant Tribe. Sam also runs The Bennery, a community and cultural space in downtown Ventura. Before real estate, he played football at Stanford (1996–2000, Rose Bowl). He understands film study, game plans, and what it feels like to walk into a big moment prepared.
DRE #01937028 26yr Real Estate & Marketing Stanford Football '96-'00 A Brilliant Tribe Coach
Daniel Garcia
Co-Founder — Licensed General Contractor
Daniel brings a rare combination to the tenant side of the table: licensed general contractor, deep experience in business capital and financial markets, and a builder's understanding of what spaces actually cost to occupy and improve. A lifelong Santa Barbara resident, he trains jiu-jitsu and approaches every negotiation the same way — with patience, precision, and no wasted moves.
Licensed General Contractor Business Capital Financial Markets Santa Barbara, CA

Agent Network

A network built on
one side of the table.
Ours.

The Lease League is building something that doesn't exist yet: a verified network of commercial brokers who represent tenants exclusively. No dual agency. No landlord listings. Just specialists with a vetted commitment to the tenant side.

Residential agents
Have a client looking for commercial space? We take care of them and keep you in the loop. Referral process is simple and your relationship is protected.
Commercial agents
If you operate tenant-first and want to be part of a vetted network with a real designation behind it, we want to talk.
Tenants looking for a local broker
Find a verified Lease League broker in your market. Launching with the full site.
Coming in Phase 2
The first commercial tenant representation designation.
CCIM is expensive and not built for tenant rep. No one owns the certified commercial tenant representation specialist designation. We're building it. Coursework, verified deal history, a code of conduct, and annual renewal. If you represent tenants exclusively and want to be part of this, get on the list.
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The community

You don't have to
figure this out alone.

The Lease League Skool community is where tenants, business owners, and small business operators come together to ask questions, share what they learned the hard way, and get real answers from people who've been through it.

No gatekeeping. No upsell to access the conversation. Just the community.


Join The Community →
Free to join
The Lease League
Community
Ask questions. Share deals. Learn from everyone who's sat at that table before you.
skool.com/theleaseleague

Get In Touch

Questions before
you sign?

Whether you're looking at a space right now, mid-negotiation, or just trying to understand what you signed two years ago — send us a message. We'll point you in the right direction.

Lease questions and clause reviews
Tenant representation consultations
Agent referral and network inquiries
Workshop and speaking requests