As a mental health therapist, working from your home can be fine when you're just starting out. However, as your practice continues to grow, you will ultimately need to lease office space. You may not know what you should be paying attention to as you examine different commercial leases, but if you ask these four questions, you can get a better handle on whether you want to sign on the dotted line.

Is There a Clause Regarding Competitors?

One of the first things you'll want to find out about is whether there will be other therapists in the building where you plan to rent office space. While you might not be in direct competition with a therapist who has a different focus than you do, you might not feel comfortable sharing the building with someone who does the exact same type of work you do. You may, for instance, worry that you will lose clients to the other therapist. For that reason, you need to know as soon as you can whether there are other therapists around.

Can I Rent to Others?

The owner of the building might not be the party interested in bringing other therapists into the building; you may be the one who wants to know if you can bring on another therapist to work with you. The owner of the building might consider that subletting, and depending on the lease, they may not approve of that. That's something you should ask about before agreeing on any lease. 

Can I Paint?

To make the space more welcoming and comfortable for your clients, you can also ask about painting or putting in light fixtures. While many building owners will allow you to paint, they may draw the line at other improvements so be sure that you ask about any changes you'd like to make to the office space.

Who Handles Repairs?

Over the course of your lease, things in the office might need to be repaired. While it's easy to make the assumption that the building owner will take care of those repairs, it's important to ask up front. You may discover that they expect you to pay for minor repairs while you are there.

Now that you've got some things to think about when looking over office leases for your therapist practice, you might consider working with a leasing agent who specializes in commercial office leasing. They can help you make the right decision.