Avoiding Zoning Problems with Commercial Real Estate
Your Florida business needs to be properly zoned in order to conduct business. You should never sign a commercial real estate lease or agreement without knowing that your business has the proper zoning rights. Zoning laws in Florida prohibit certain businesses from operating in a particular area.
For instance, there are zoning laws that prohibit some industrial companies from operating too close to residential areas. You never want to sign a lease for a location that you can’t use for your business, and to avoid a potential headache you should meet with a South Florida real estate lawyer.
Zoning laws let certain businesses operate in a region or district
The zoning laws of Florida allow certain businesses to operate in a particular district or region. They also regulate the specific activities of businesses. There are several laws that your business might be subject to including pollution (air and water quality) laws, noise ordinances, and laws that govern the visual appearance of the business. Your business sign may be scrutinized by zoning authorities, and there are often very specific requirements for them. Zoning laws in Florida also often require companies to provide parking.
Zoning laws are often enforced
Zoning laws in Florida are sometimes heavily enforced because they are designed to protect the residents of the area as well as other businesses. Normally you won’t run into a zoning problem unless someone complains about your business, but in some cases you might have to deal with zoning regulations no matter what. It can be a good idea to get to know the neighborhood your business resides in or will reside in to establish good relationships, and you should try to speak to other business owners in the area to find out about zoning problems that they may have had.
Work with an attorney to navigate through zoning issues
When you hire an experienced South Florida real estate attorney at the beginning of negotiations, your attorney will always advise you of potential zoning problems. Every city and region of Florida is different, but your attorney will be familiar with local zoning laws and let you know about the particular regulations that apply to your business. You never want to sign a lease and have to deal with the fallout of backing out of the lease due to a zoning issue. Your attorney will catch these and other potential problems during negotiations and save you the time, money and stress of dealing with a future legal battle.
If you have any questions or concerns about zoning for your current or future business, talk to Leah Mayersohn at Schecter Law today.
