Base rent is rarely where schools get hurt.
The damage usually hides in the fine print — who pays for a new roof, whether the space is even legal as a school, what happens if the landlord delivers late and you miss your opening.
This checklist walks you through 15 red flags that matter most, organized into six levels — from the structure of the deal to whether you should be signing at all. For each one, you'll mark whether your lease clearly addresses it. At the end you'll get a plain-language risk readout you can take straight to your attorney or board.
This is not legal advice. It's a leadership tool to help you ask better questions before you commit. Always have a real estate attorney review any lease.