Leasing a warehouse or pickup point for a marketplace: what to check in the contract before the keys

A warehouse for FBS or a partner pickup point is not “just rented floor space.” Your goods sit in the premises, marketplace slot deadlines are running, and termination or a power cut hits the cash register faster than a court dispute. Before the keys are handed over, the contract needs to close access to remaining stock in a conflict, utilities and consumption limits, the deposit, the exit procedure, and force majeure — otherwise the risk stays in a gray zone between you and the landlord.

How a warehouse or pickup point differs from an “office” lease

In an office, a dispute over access is discomfort. On a seller’s warehouse, locked gates stop shipments and trigger platform penalties. A pickup point adds the handover hours, staff, the marketplace brand requirements, and a queue of customers. The contract should take account of the intended use (storage, picking, order handover), the load on building systems, and the right to work during the hours you need — including peak sale dates.

Separately, check whether the contract bans sublease, installing racking, video surveillance, or changing the layout for a receiving zone. What is “usually allowed verbally” will not help in a claim.

Clauses to check before the keys

1. Access to goods in case of debt and termination

• Whether the landlord can retain goods against rent arrears
• The period and procedure for removing remaining stock after a termination notice
• Access to the premises during a dispute (at least under an inventory, with a bailiff, or on a schedule)
• Who draws up the inventory and who pays for security downtime on move-out

2. Utilities and building systems

• What is in the fixed part and what is metered; kW limits and the consequences of excess use
• Liability for a cutoff of power, heating, or internet, and for warehouse downtime
• Who repairs the gates, the ramp, and the fire alarm — and within what period

3. Deposit and indexation

• What the deposit may be withheld for: damage, delayed move-out, “underpaid utilities”
• The return period after handover of the property and a reconciliation statement
• How the rate may rise: notice, a cap, and the right to refuse and move out

4. Force majeure and emergencies

• What counts as force majeure, and whether it releases the tenant from rent for the period the premises are unavailable
• Access to goods after an incident; insurance of the building vs insurance of your stock
• The link to the marketplace offer: the platform warehouse risk ≠ the risk of your leased warehouse

Pickup points: extra risks

If the property is for a pickup point, check that it meets the network’s requirements (area, signage, hours, video surveillance). The lease with the landlord and the contract with the marketplace must not conflict: for example, the lease bans a sign while the pickup-point offer requires one. Build in a right of early exit if the platform withdraws pickup-point status.

• Intended use — order handover / pickup point — stated directly in the subject
• Consent to branding and a flow of visitors
• Termination if the marketplace contract is withdrawn, without a penalty “year of rent”

Checklist before the keys

Related reading

• How to check a lease
• How to check an apartment lease
• A contract with fulfillment and a 3PL
• The WB and Ozon offer: force majeure

Short conclusion

A warehouse or pickup-point lease for a marketplace is a contract about access to goods and continuity of shipments, not only about the rate per square meter. Before the keys, close retention of stock, utilities, the deposit, force majeure, and the exit scenario. That is cheaper than finding out your rights to the pallets when the gates are locked.