Things to know about offices and corporate office lease contracts

1. Does the office rental contract need to be notarized?

For an office owned by an individual: when an enterprise rents an independent office (house as an office) as well as a house, the contract is not required to be notarized. However, the two sides need to have a detailed agreement and have other options to ensure the rights and obligations of the two parties.

For the office of a legal lessor (enterprise providing office leasing services in a building): this is the case when both parties are qualified to provide the service and use it. Using the service, the office lease contract does not need to be notarized or authenticated. 

Although the law does not require notarization of office lease contracts, the parties involved in the signing can still notarize the contract to ensure its enforceability.

2. Contract form and office rental procedures

Sample contract in specific cases:

The office lease contract is agreed and signed between the lessee and the lessor. It includes major items such as:

• Lessor and lessee information (name, address, phone number, tax code, ...)

• Key agreements (lease area, rent, lease term, lease purpose, deposit, first payment, subsequent payments, form of payment, handover date, equipment and supplies attached, other costs, working time, term of contract termination)

• Rights and obligations of both parties

• Case of force majeure

• Termination of contract

Renting a house as an office contract:

• Information of lessor (landlord) and lessee

• Contract object

• Rental purpose

• Lease term and rental price

• Deposit

• Payments

• Rights and obligations of both parties

• Termination of contract

• Commitment of the parties

Application for extension of office lease, when the business needs to use the office (renting the house as an office) for longer than the term of the contract, it needs to send an application to the lessor ahead of time to notify and apply for an extension: Specify the content of your wish to extend the office lease (until the new time).

Documents to terminate the office lease contract at the expiration of the term: this is the official letter used to terminate the contract when the office lease term has expired.

Papers to terminate the contract before the term: the lessee needs to send an official letter to the lessor when it intends to stop using the office leasing service at that place. It is necessary to specify the reason for the decision to stop renting the office.

3. Modern office styles 

Currently, offices are designed in a variety of ways depending on the space, construction structure and unique aesthetic of each location. Let's look at the popular office designs of recent years.

• Open office style: Open office is an office style that rarely uses partitions, working areas are not divided by rooms. Open office style is suitable for offices with a small area, to increase the visibility and comfort of the working space.

• Green office: offices that work according to the green living trend of the new era are favored by many businesses. An office is not only a place to work, but also a second home for employees. Therefore, decorating and creating green space for air conditioning is also very necessary.

• Minimalist offices: these offices feel dignified and luxurious. Offices that specialize in areas such as law or file handling need to create more file storage areas than cumbersome decorations. This also helps employees focus more on work.

• The office has a division by department: this type of office has both similarities and differences from an open office. For large enterprises with many departments working together, they often have spatial separation between different departments. In the same department, these people work in one of the smaller open spaces.

• Classical architecture office: Classical architectural style enhances the luxury and position of that business. By using monochromatic bright yellow tones and simple but highly aesthetic interior layout. That office will present a more upscale image for the business.

• The office has a creative design: these offices have a breakthrough in architecture, color coordination and interior layout that is not in the usual style. Large businesses that want to show a different and outstanding image often hire architects to design in accordance with the operating motto and corporate personality.

• Office hierarchical division: large companies often divide the work area by hierarchy. Low-level employees often work together, managers work at a desk at a distance, directors and equivalent or higher levels have separate offices.

• Multi-purpose office: office style that makes full use of space functions, both saving and making a difference. Multi-purpose office can be used for working, meeting rooms, taking place internal activities without moving to another space. At the same time, the interior is also smartly arranged to be able to move flexibly.

Businesses that rent cheap offices, especially when renting cheap offices in Ho Chi Minh City, need to pay attention to factors from office architecture to signing contracts for smooth business operations.