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Can Your Landlord Relocate Your Dental Practice?

Can Your Landlord Relocate Your Dental Practice?
by Jeremy D. Behar

Picture this: You've built or bought your dream dental practice, amassed a loyal patient roster and are enjoying the fruits of a successful dental practice. Having found a space that works for your business, you feel lulled into a sense of security by what you thought was a good, solid dental office lease.

Suddenly, without warning, you receive notice from your landlord that the dental practice you have worked so hard to build is being relocated to make room for the accountant next door who is expanding. You realize the office lease you thought was designed to protect your interests is actually riddled with clauses that the landlord can exploit to his advantage — in this case, it's the "relocation clause."

So, what does this mean for you and your practice?

What is the relocation clause?

To start with, the relocation clause gives your landlord the right to move your dental practice to another location in the center or building. Landlords generally exercise this right when they have a tenant interested in expanding into the space or are willing to pay higher rental rates.

A more attractive or lucrative offer may give incentive for a landlord to invoke the relocation clause and request that current tenants vacate their space — with typically 30 days' notice — and move to a new location. As dental practices in particular are expensive to maintain and difficult to relocate, a hidden relocation clause can pose major problems for a tenant.

Read full article on MultiBriefs.