A business that leases real estate and improvements (buildings, etc.) in the form of space for offices, a warehouse, a restaurant, a nail or hair salon, a clothing store, a coffee shop, or other commercial (nonresidential) space will usually be required to sign a written contract known as a commercial lease agreement.

The tenant (the business occupying the space) who signs a commercial lease agreement is generally expected to be a more savvy, sophisticated, and informed tenant (also known as a lessee) than a tenant in a residential lease, and the law usually does not provide a commercial tenant with the same protections as residential tenant receives.

Because the law does not provide a commercial tenant with many protections, it is up to the commercial tenant to read, understand, and negotiate protections in a proposed lease agreement before signing it, as most every paragraph in a commercial lease agreement can have a significant impact on a business’s operations and financial stability.

As with most other questions, a commercial tenant's ability to break or terminate a lease before the end of the lease term depends primarily on the terms of the written lease agreement.

In Tennessee, a business that leases property for commercial purposes, such as office space, warehouses, or retail locations, will typically enter into a commercial lease agreement. Unlike residential tenants, commercial tenants are considered to be more knowledgeable and are expected to understand and negotiate the terms of their leases. Tennessee law does not provide the same level of protection to commercial tenants as it does to residential tenants, which means that the responsibility to secure favorable lease terms falls on the commercial tenant. It is crucial for the tenant to thoroughly review and negotiate the lease agreement to ensure it aligns with their business needs and to understand the implications of each clause, especially those related to terminating the lease early. The ability to break or terminate a commercial lease in Tennessee is governed by the specific terms and conditions outlined in the lease agreement itself, and there are no statutory provisions that allow a commercial tenant to terminate a lease early without potential legal and financial consequences.