A lease abstract that captures the CAM terms.
Every term worth pulling from a commercial lease: dates, rent steps, options, and the CAM, tax and insurance terms most free templates skip. Each answer gets a page and a quote, so anyone can check it. Free, with no email.
Free, no email
Download the template (.xlsx)76 fields in 10 sections, each with a page and quote column, plus sheets for the rent schedule, notice dates and documents.
The same rows as the Excel file. Sections 01 to 09 hold the 73 terms Cornerhold reads from a lease; the last section holds three California items to note by hand.
Commercial lease abstract
One row per term, with its page and quote.
- Tenant
- Property and suite
- Abstracted by and on
01Parties
| Field | Answer | Page | Quote from the lease |
|---|---|---|---|
| LandlordLandlord's legal name as written in the document. | |||
| TenantTenant's legal name as written in the document. | |||
| GuarantorWho guarantees the tenant's obligations, if anyone. |
02Premises
| Field | Answer | Page | Quote from the lease |
|---|---|---|---|
| PropertyShopping center, building or project name. | |||
| AddressStreet address of the premises or property. | |||
| SuiteSuite, unit or space number, or Entire building when the tenant leases the whole property. | |||
| Rentable square feetSquare feet of the premises (rentable or gross leasable area). | |||
| Center square feetTotal square feet of the shopping center, building or property used for the tenant's share. | |||
| Tenant's shareTenant's proportionate or pro rata share as a percent, e.g. 4.37 for 4.37%, when the document states it. |
03Dates and term
| Field | Answer | Page | Quote from the lease |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lease dateDate the document is dated, made or signed. | |||
| Delivery dateDate the landlord delivers possession, if stated. | |||
| CommencementLease commencement date (term start). | |||
| Rent commencementDate base rent starts, if different from commencement or stated. | |||
| ExpirationDate the current term ends (the extended date, for an amendment that extends the term). | |||
| Term lengthLength of the term (or of the extension, for an amendment) in months. |
04Rent and deposit
| Field | Answer | Page | Quote from the lease |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base rent scheduleEach rent period, from and to, with monthly and annual rent and rent per square foot. Use the Rent schedule sheet. | |||
| How rent increasesFixed amounts, a percent increase, an inflation index (CPI), fair market value, or no increases. | |||
| Increase termsThe increase in plain words, e.g. '3% every lease year' or '$0.75 per square foot each year'. | |||
| Free rentAny free, abated or reduced rent period, and what is abated. | |||
| Free rent monthsNumber of months of free or abated base rent. | |||
| Percentage rentPercentage rent rate and breakpoint, if any. | |||
| Security depositCash security deposit amount in dollars; 0 when the lease says none. | |||
| Letter of creditLetter of credit amount and burn-down, if any. | |||
| Late chargeLate charge and interest on late payments. |
05Options
| Field | Answer | Page | Quote from the lease |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renewal optionsHow many renewal or extension options the tenant has; 0 when none. | |||
| Each renewal termLength of each renewal or extension term in months. | |||
| Renewal noticeWhen notice to renew is due, counted back from the end of the term, e.g. not less than 180 nor more than 365 days before. | |||
| Renewal notice deadlineThe calendar date the first renewal notice is due, when the document states it. | |||
| Renewal rentHow rent is set for a renewal term (fixed amounts, percent increase, fair market value). | |||
| Early terminationA right to end the lease early by choice, who holds it and on what conditions. Not casualty, condemnation or default. | |||
| Termination effectiveDate the lease can end early under the termination right. | |||
| Termination notice byLast day to give notice of early termination, when the document states it or it follows from the rule. | |||
| Termination feeWhat the tenant pays to terminate early. | |||
| Expansion rightA right to add space by option (not first refusal or first offer). | |||
| Right of first refusalRight of first refusal on space or on a sale. | |||
| Right of first offerRight of first offer or negotiation on space. | |||
| Purchase optionAn option to buy the property. |
06CAM, taxes and insurance costs
| Field | Answer | Page | Quote from the lease |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lease typeWho pays CAM, taxes and insurance: NNN, NN, modified gross, gross, ground or percentage. | |||
| How the share is figuredHow the tenant's share is figured: area over the center's area, a fixed percent, or leased and occupied area with a floor. | |||
| Fixed shareThe tenant's share as a percent when the lease fixes it, e.g. 40 for 40%. | |||
| Share floorMinimum occupancy used for the denominator, e.g. 90 for 'never less than 90% of the rentable area'. | |||
| Expense base yearBase year for operating expenses or taxes (gross leases with a base year). | |||
| CAM capAnnual cap on increases in CAM or operating costs as a percent. | |||
| Cap typeCumulative (unused increases carry forward), compounding (each year on the prior capped amount) or non-cumulative. | |||
| Cap applies toOne of: Controllable costs only, All CAM costs. | |||
| Cap base yearFirst year the cap is measured from. | |||
| Admin feeAdministrative or management fee charged on CAM as a percent; 0 when the lease says no fee. | |||
| Gross-upOccupancy level variable costs are grossed up to, as a percent. | |||
| Exclusions from CAMCosts the lease excludes from CAM or operating expenses, each as a short plain item. | |||
| Pays share of taxesYes or no: does the tenant pay its share of real estate taxes? | |||
| Pays share of insuranceYes or no: does the tenant pay its share of the landlord's property insurance? | |||
| CAM estimateMonthly estimated CAM payment in dollars, if stated. | |||
| Tax estimateMonthly estimated real estate tax payment in dollars, if stated. | |||
| Insurance estimateMonthly estimated insurance cost payment in dollars, if stated. | |||
| Year-end statementWhen the landlord must deliver the annual statement and settle up. | |||
| Tenant audit rightTenant's right to audit or review the landlord's records, deadlines and who pays. |
07Insurance the tenant carries
| Field | Answer | Page | Quote from the lease |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liability per occurrenceCommercial general liability limit per occurrence in dollars. | |||
| Liability aggregateCommercial general liability aggregate limit in dollars. | |||
| Landlord as additional insuredYes or no: must the landlord be named as an additional insured? | |||
| Other insuranceOther insurance the tenant must carry and when certificates are due, briefly. |
08Use, exclusives and co-tenancy
| Field | Answer | Page | Quote from the lease |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permitted useWhat the premises may be used for. | |||
| Exclusive useTenant's exclusive right that the landlord won't lease to competitors. | |||
| Co-tenancyRent relief or rights tied to anchor tenants or occupancy. | |||
| Radius restrictionLimit on the tenant operating another store within a distance. |
09Other clauses
| Field | Answer | Page | Quote from the lease |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repairs and maintenanceWho maintains what: interior, HVAC, roof, structure, common areas. | |||
| Assignment and sublettingLandlord consent standard, permitted transfers, profit sharing, recapture. | |||
| HoldoverRent if the tenant stays after expiration, e.g. 150% of the last rent. | |||
| SignageTenant signage rights. | |||
| ParkingParking rights: spaces, ratio, reserved spaces, charges. | |||
| GuarantyWhat is guaranteed and any limit or burn-off. | |||
| EstoppelHow fast the tenant must sign an estoppel certificate. | |||
| Subordination (SNDA)Subordination to the landlord's lender and any non-disturbance protection. | |||
| RelocationLandlord's right to move the tenant to other space. |
10CaliforniaNote by hand
| Field | Answer | Page | Quote from the lease |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualified commercial tenant noticeDate the tenant last gave written notice that it is a qualified commercial tenant, with its self-attestation of employees. Civil Code 1950.9 | |||
| CASp statementWhether the lease states that the premises were or weren't inspected by a Certified Access Specialist, and what it says. Civil Code 1938 | |||
| Language of negotiationYes or no: was the lease negotiated mainly in Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese or Korean? If yes, when the translation was delivered. Civil Code 1632 |
Work out an option's notice window.
Renewal and termination clauses often say notice must come not less than one period nor more than another before the term ends. Enter both to get the first and last day.
- Window opens
- Friday, June 30, 2028
- Window closes
- Monday, January 1, 2029
Counted back in calendar days or months from the end date. If the lease counts business days, or says how notice is given or when it counts as received, follow the lease.
How to fill it in so it holds up.
- Start with the documents sheet: the lease and every amendment, in order. A later amendment wins where they differ.
- Go row by row. Write the answer, the page number and the sentence it comes from.
- Where the lease says nothing, write Silent, so a blank always means not checked yet.
- Put each rent period on the rent schedule sheet, free rent included, and each option on the notice dates sheet.
- Have someone else check the answers against the quotes before anyone relies on them.
What the CAM rows are for
The share, base year, cap and cap type, gross-up, exclusions and admin fee decide every year-end CAM statement. Getting them down once, with the quote, saves rereading the lease each January.
Let two readers draft it, and you approve it.
In Cornerhold, two AI readers from different companies draft these 73 fields from your lease PDF, each answer with its page and quote. Where they disagree you see both, and nothing counts until a person approves the abstract. Nothing on this page runs AI or sends your lease anywhere.
Questions about lease abstracts
What is a lease abstract?
A short record of a lease's key terms: parties, premises, dates, rent, options, CAM terms and the other clauses you look up often, so you don't reread the whole lease each time a question comes up.
What should a commercial lease abstract include?
The parties and premises, the term dates, the rent schedule and how rent increases, the deposit, options with their notice windows, how CAM, taxes and insurance are shared (the share, base year, caps, exclusions, gross-up and admin fee), the insurance the tenant carries, use and exclusives, and clauses like assignment, holdover, estoppel and subordination. The template has a row for each.
Why write down the page and the quote?
So anyone can check an answer against the lease in seconds, and so a question about what the lease says is settled from its text rather than from memory.
Can I use it in Google Sheets or Numbers?
Yes. Upload the .xlsx file to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets, or open it in Numbers. The page also prints as a blank form.
Is there a free AI lease abstract here?
No. Nothing on this page sends your lease anywhere, and no AI runs on it. In Cornerhold, two AI readers draft these fields from your lease PDF, each answer with its page and quote, and a person approves the abstract.
Sources (checked October 2026)
Each statement above links to the official page it comes from. We read every one on the date shown.
- 1Civil Code 1950.9
Building operating costs charged to a qualified commercial tenant (SB 1103).
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, checked October 23, 2026
- 2Civil Code 1938
The Certified Access Specialist (CASp) statement every commercial lease since 2017 must include.
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, checked October 23, 2026
- 3Civil Code 1632
Translations of contracts negotiated in Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese or Korean, including some commercial leases (1632(b)(8)).
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, checked October 23, 2026
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