Screen for an operation that can actually work.

Start with the activity, not the impression

Ask what the business will do in the premises each day. Describe products, materials, deliveries, staff, customers, hours and equipment. A business description such as “storage” is too broad to settle truck access, hazardous materials or public attendance. Record what was explained and what still needs confirmation.

Compare the activity with the proposed use in the agreement and the permissions at the address. Discuss noise, dust, odour, outdoor storage and waste. Where a use is uncertain, require appropriate authority or professional review instead of relying on a confident explanation during the tour.

Test the operating fit together

Run through the busiest ordinary day rather than the quiet viewing. Where does a truck wait? Can the goods pass through the door? Is there space to stage a delivery without blocking your own work? Which equipment and utilities must be available at the same time?

In shared space, compatibility matters as much as the floor area. Food products, dirty fabrication, temperature-sensitive goods and confidential stock can create different separation requirements. Make conflicts explicit. Screening should establish a workable arrangement, not merely identify a business willing to pay.

Confirm who will sign and who can commit

Obtain the correct legal business name and the identity of the authorised signing party. Verify the entity through appropriate records and establish whether the tenant is an operating company, a new entity or another structure. Keep the proposed tenant distinct from a trade name on a sign.

Discuss guarantees or security with counsel and the prospective tenant. A director’s signature does not automatically create a personal guarantee. Avoid making assumptions about an individual’s financial circumstances from personal characteristics; use relevant, permitted information and a consistent process.

Request relevant evidence securely

Ask for business references and evidence relevant to the proposed obligation, with the applicant’s knowledge and any consent required. Established businesses and new ventures may have different useful evidence. Explain what you need, why you need it and how it will be protected.

Do not collect bank records, identity documents or detailed financial statements through an open website form. Use an appropriate secure process with professional guidance. Limit access to those assessing the arrangement, and decide how rejected-application records will be retained or removed. More personal data is not automatically a better assessment.

Discuss the full commitment

Explain base rent, additional costs, insurance, repairs, deposits and any improvements before assessing affordability. A tenant may be comfortable with the headline rent but unprepared for utility charges or a year-end additional-rent reconciliation. Ask how the business plans around those obligations.

For a new venture, discuss timing and contingencies. Fit-out approvals, equipment delivery and financing may affect the start date. Confirm which milestones must be met before the agreement becomes unconditional and who pays if the proposed operation does not open as expected. Have the actual clauses reviewed.

Check references with specific questions

Ask permitted references about payment reliability, communication, care of premises and how a problem was handled. Record the source and distinguish first-hand evidence from hearsay. A business reference cannot establish suitability for a different building, use or scale of commitment.

Verify information through contact details you can independently connect to the reference where appropriate. Avoid treating a positive informal call as a substitute for documents, approvals and professional review. Use the same relevant questions across comparable applicants so the decision can be explained.

Make a documented decision and a clear handover

Keep a short record of the requirements, evidence, conflicts and unresolved conditions. If the arrangement proceeds, carry the permitted activity and shared-space rules into the agreement. A screening note that never reaches the written terms leaves the key expectations uncertain.

If it does not proceed, communicate the decision without publishing the applicant’s private information. Screening is an owner’s and adviser’s process; this site supplies a planning checklist and does not score applicants or decide eligibility.

Take this checklist to the conversation

• Describe the actual activity and busy-day operation.
• Confirm the proposed use and address permissions.
• Check loading, staff, access and separation.
• Verify the contracting entity and signing authority.
• Request only relevant evidence through a secure process.
• Explain the full cost and repair obligations.
• Record references as evidence, not guarantees.
• Carry conditions and operational rules into reviewed documents.