The street floods every monsoon? Six risks to check before you rent a shop

Before you sign a lease, check six things the broker will not tell you: water in the monsoon, road works, parking, the licences your business needs, the landlord's papers, and what happened to the last tenant. Each one takes an hour or less to check. Each one can close a new shop.

Imran opened a small restaurant in March. The rent was fair and the street was busy. In July, the rain came. The road in front filled with knee-deep water for three weeks. Nobody could reach his door. He paid full rent anyway.

His neighbours knew. Nobody had asked them.

Before you sign, check the address. Viabe Location Check reads one address: competitors, fair rent, footfall, risks and a clear verdict. Check your location.

Low roads and old drains fill up fast. Water can stop customers for days and ruin your stock.

How to check:

• Ask three shopkeepers on the street: "Does water come here when it rains?"
• Look at the walls. A line of marks low on the walls often means water stood there.
• Check if the shop floor is higher than the road.

A metro line, a flyover or new pipes can block a street for months.

How to check:

• Look for barricades, survey marks and fresh digging nearby.
• Search the area name with "metro", "flyover" or "road work" in the news.
• Ask the neighbours if any work is planned.

If customers cannot stop, many will not come in. This matters most for restaurants and family shops.

How to check:

• Visit at your busy hour. Is there space for two wheelers and cars?
• Is there a divider that stops people on the other side from crossing?
• Are there steps that make it hard for older people to come in?

Some shops cannot get every licence. A restaurant needs an FSSAI food licence and often a trade licence and a fire safety certificate. Selling alcohol has its own rules, and some areas do not allow it.

How to check:

• Ask the local municipal office what your business needs at this address.
• Ask the landlord if the building allows commercial use for food.

If the person renting to you is not the real owner, your lease may not protect you.

How to check:

• Ask for the property papers and match the owner's name.
• Ask if there is a loan on the property.
• Get the lease registered. Our lease checklist covers this in more detail.

The best warning comes from the shop's own past.

How to check:

• Ask the neighbours what was there before, how long it lasted, and why it closed.
• If two or three businesses closed in the same shop, find out why before you sign.

• The street stays dry in the rain.
• No big road work is planned nearby.
• Customers can stop and walk in easily.
• You can get every licence you need at this address.
• The landlord's papers are clean.
• The last tenant left for a reason that does not apply to you.

Can I ask for a lower rent at the start if there are risks?

You can ask. Some landlords agree to a lower rent for the first months, or a clause that lets you leave if the road is closed for a long time.

Is a ground floor shop always better?

For walk in customers, usually yes. But check the water risk first. A ground floor shop on a low road can flood.

Want the risks checked for one address? Viabe Location Check looks at one address and shows competitors, fair rent, footfall, risks and a clear verdict, before you sign. Check your location.