The New Year typically signals the time when lease agreements are up for renewal.

The Investec Property Fund announced a 7.7% increase in its interim distribution to 50.46 cents per share ("cps") for the six months ended 30 September 2013.

Before signing a lease, Michelle Dickens, Founder and Managing Director of the Tenant Profile Network (TPN), advises that small to medium enterprises (SMEs) do their research, know their requirements, and plan for the future.

While it is a tenants market in the commercial market sector, prospective tenants shouldn’t just take the lowest offer they can get from landlords, they should firstly rather closely scrutinize the landlord and ensure that the deal is sustainable.