What Fields Are in a Lease Abstract?

A commercial lease abstract typically contains 50 to 150+ structured fields covering party information (landlord, tenant, guarantors), financial terms (base rent, escalation, security deposit), critical dates (commencement, expiration, option deadlines), options (renewal, termination, expansion), CAM provisions (cap, base year, gross-up, audit rights), and legal/operational clauses. Lextract extracts 126 fields organized across 10 categories.

By Angel Campa, Founder · Updated March 2026

A comprehensive commercial lease abstract contains structured fields across multiple categories. The exact fields depend on the abstraction tool or template used, but a standard commercial CRE abstract covers the following:

Party Information

  • Landlord legal name and entity type
  • Tenant legal name and entity type
  • Guarantor name and guarantee type (personal, corporate, good guy)
  • Property address and legal description
  • Building name, size, and year built

Lease Term & Dates

  • Lease commencement date
  • Rent commencement date (may differ for free rent periods)
  • Lease expiration date
  • Option exercise notice deadlines
  • Rent escalation effective dates
  • CAM reconciliation deadline

Financial Terms

  • Base rent (annual and monthly)
  • Rent escalation type (fixed %, CPI, step)
  • Rent escalation rate and frequency
  • Free rent period duration and dates
  • Security deposit amount and form (cash, letter of credit)
  • Tenant improvement allowance amount and disbursement terms
  • Operating expense stop or base year amount
  • CAM charge estimate
  • Percentage rent rate and breakpoint (retail leases)

Options & Rights

  • Renewal option terms (number of options, term length, rent basis)
  • Early termination option and conditions
  • Expansion option terms
  • Right of first refusal on adjacent space
  • Right of first offer on building sale
  • Purchase option terms

CAM & Operating Expenses

  • CAM cap type and percentage
  • CAM base year
  • Gross-up provision (typically 95%)
  • Excluded expenses from CAM
  • Controllable vs. uncontrollable expense classification
  • Tenant audit rights and notice period

Use & Operations

  • Permitted use clause
  • Exclusive use restriction (and scope)
  • Hours of operation requirement (retail)
  • Assignment and subletting rights and consent requirements
  • Co-tenancy requirement

Landlord & Tenant Obligations

  • Landlord maintenance obligations
  • Tenant maintenance obligations
  • Capital expenditure responsibility
  • HVAC maintenance obligation
  • Insurance requirements

Termination & Default

  • Early termination fee formula
  • Holdover rent rate
  • Default cure period (monetary and non-monetary)
  • Self-help remedy rights

Lextract's 126-Field Coverage

Lextract extracts 126 structured fields organized across these categories, with per-field confidence scores. The full field list is available at /fields.

Related Questions

Related Resources

Related Articles

Ready to abstract your lease?

Upload any commercial lease PDF and get 126 structured fields extracted in under 3 minutes. Per-field confidence scores included. Just $20 per lease.

Upload Your Lease