Finding the right office is only part of the decision. Before your business pays a reservation fee, commits to fit-out works or signs a lease, the proposed arrangement needs to match how your team will actually use the premises.
For an international business operating in Bulgaria, the useful starting point is a clear description of what you need: who will occupy the office, what activities will take place there and how much flexibility the business requires.
This checklist focuses on those decisions and the documents worth reviewing before you commit.
1. Define what your business needs the office to do
“Office use” can mean different things in practice. A quiet workspace for a small team is different from premises receiving customers, hosting training sessions or accommodating equipment.
Explain whether you need:
- regular access for employees, visitors or contractors;
- meeting rooms, parking, storage or signage;
- access outside normal building hours;
- alterations, additional cabling or specialist equipment;
- use of the address for company correspondence or registration purposes.
Ask whether the proposed use is consistent with the property documentation, the lease and any applicable building rules. A description in an advertisement or a verbal assurance should be checked against the documents and, where needed, an appropriate technical assessment.
2. Check the premises and the party offering them
The documents should identify exactly what your business will occupy. Check the unit, floor, area and any included parking spaces, storage rooms or shared facilities.
Ask what evidence supports the landlord’s entitlement to grant the proposed lease. If the arrangement is a sublease or is offered through a manager or agent, clarify the underlying authority and any required permissions.
Also identify the intended tenant. Will the lease be signed by your Bulgarian company, a foreign company or another group entity? Make that decision before the documents are finalised, particularly if a deposit or guarantee will be provided by someone else.
These questions help define the scope of the legal review. They do not replace the property-specific checks appropriate to the premises.
3. Calculate the full cost of occupation
The headline rent may not represent the full financial commitment.
Request a clear breakdown of service charges, utilities, parking, maintenance and any other amounts payable under the proposed arrangement. Ask your accountant to confirm the applicable VAT treatment and how the payments should be documented.
Review how costs may change during the lease. If rent is linked to an index, the contract should identify the index, calculation method, timing and any agreed limits. If service charges are adjusted or reconciled later, establish what information your business will receive.
For the deposit or other security, clarify:
- what obligations it secures;
- when deductions may be made;
- whether it must be replenished;
- how and when the remaining balance will be returned.
Treat any reservation payment as a separate commitment requiring review. Establish what it buys, whether it is refundable and what happens if the lease is never signed.
4. Separate access, handover and rent commencement
The date you receive the keys may not be the date the office is ready for occupation.
If works are needed, distinguish between access for contractors, completion of the landlord’s works, formal handover and the start of rent payments. Record who is responsible for each stage and how completion will be confirmed.
Before accepting the premises, prepare a handover record covering their condition, existing defects, equipment, keys, access cards and meter readings. Photographs can support that record.
For fit-out works, agree the approval process, responsibilities, costs and what happens to the alterations at the end of the lease. If opening depends on works or approvals, discuss how that dependency should be addressed before committing to a fixed moving date.
5. Make repairs and operational responsibilities clear
Avoid leaving important obligations under a broad phrase such as “all maintenance”.
Discuss responsibility for heating and cooling systems, leaks, electrical installations, internet infrastructure and repairs to common areas. Establish how faults are reported, who can authorise work and how access will be arranged.
Also review the proposed allocation of insurance responsibilities and what the contract says about disruption or premises becoming unusable.
A legal review can address the contractual allocation of these risks. A technical assessment is needed to evaluate the physical condition and suitability of the building or its systems.
6. Understand the cost of leaving
A lease should fit the business’s likely development as well as its immediate needs.
Before signing, review the fixed term, any negotiated early-exit right, the required notice procedure and the financial consequences of leaving. Ask what happens if your business needs to move, expand, reduce its space or allow another group company to occupy part of the office.
Discuss the position if the property is sold during the term, including whether registration or other formal steps should be considered for the proposed arrangement.
At the end of the lease, clarify the required condition of the premises, removal of equipment and alterations, final cost reconciliation and return of security.
Bring the documents together before making the commitment
A useful review includes more than the main lease. Collect the proposed schedules, plans, building rules, fit-out conditions, guarantee documents and any reservation agreement. Identify which commercial points have already been agreed and which remain open.
For recurring premises and contract questions, ongoing legal support in Bulgaria can provide continuity, depending on the agreed scope. A particular lease or property transaction may require a separately agreed engagement.
If your business is considering an office lease in Bulgaria, send a brief enquiry or email office@petrov-bg.com, outlining the location, intended use, proposed timing and whether anything has already been signed or paid.
General information. This article does not replace legal or technical advice on particular premises or lease terms.