The figures are still being calculated for the costs of Hurricane Sandy, which swept up the East Coast of the United States in the fall of 2012, but at the moment they stand at $68 billion.…
Category: Leasing Policy
Common Lease Expiration Dates
Did you sense a mild “thump” today? A slight disturbance in The Force? Today, December 31st, more GSA leases expire than any other day of the year. It got me thinking why that is, and whether there is any…
Rolling Termination Rights Now Extend to AAAP Program
As of last month, the Automated Advanced Acquisition Program (AAAP) still allowed GSA and interested landlords to enter into leases of 5 years, 10 years or 5 years with a fixed-price five-year renewal option. However, this…
The Persistent Problem with Termination Rights
It is possible that no tenant in the United States has greater fondness for termination rights than the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). As I pointed out in a blog article more than two years ago,…
Agencies Pay Lip Service to the Virtues of Long-Term Leases
On July 30th the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hosted a subcommittee hearing entitled: “GSA Tenant Agencies: Challenges and Opportunities in Reducing Costs of Leased Space”. The assembled witnesses included Norman Dong, the Commissioner of GSA’s…
AAAP Program Expanded Even Further (It’s Time to Get on Board!)
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), which leases office space on behalf of most federal agencies, has begun using a streamlined lease acquisition program in several markets across the nation and will continue to expand into…
Flying the Flag at Half-Staff
Fifty years ago today, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. In remembrance of this somber occasion, President Obama recently issued a proclamation naming this past Friday a Day of Remembrance and directing the flag to be…
GAO Report Urges Greater Focus on Ownership
In September, the GAO issued the latest in a long series of reports concluding that GSA’s leasing strategy is flawed. This report, entitled “Greater Transparency and Strategic Focus Needed for High-Value Leases”, studied the 218 largest leases in…
Shutdown FAQ
**UPDATE: Since the 2013 Shutdown, GSA has issued a new policy determination that allows for the agency to continue operating and making payments from the Federal Buildings Fund. In the event of a prolonged shutdown, GSA would…
Three Good Reasons to Appeal Your Real Estate Taxes
A unique feature of GSA leases is that when lessors reduce their operating costs, GSA does not receive the benefit, because the government pays for operating cost adjustments based upon the change in CPI–not actual cost changes. Yet,…