Office due diligence should connect the organization to the exact parcel, unit and suite. The word office does not establish legal premises, usable area, approved activity, occupant load, accessibility, system capacity, lease rights or permission to occupy. Each conclusion should retain its source, date, scope and responsible reviewer.
This is general information, not legal, tax, environmental, engineering, accounting or investment advice. Obtain advice specific to the property and transaction.
1. Preserve a workplace operating narrative
Record activities, peak staff and visitors, hours, privacy, meetings, storage, technology, security, regulated services, public access and future changes. Version the narrative when the operating model changes.
A professional-office label can conceal activities with different municipal, building, privacy, security or sector requirements. Review the actual operation.
2. Reconcile the legal and physical premises
Match the lease or title, plans, suite boundaries, common areas, storage, parking, signs, access and equipment to current observation. Identify exclusive, shared, licensed and revocable rights separately.
Current use of a room, stall, entrance or rooftop system does not prove it forms part of the legal premises or will remain available.
3. Reconcile area and workplace capacity
Preserve the source and convention for rentable, usable, common, storage and occupied areas. Connect the proposed layout to rooms, circulation, accessibility, egress, washrooms, systems and peak occupants.
Desk count, rentable area and approved occupant load answer different questions. A fit plan is not approval and an area discrepancy should not be silently resolved.
4. Establish the municipal approval path
Ask the municipality to classify the proposed activities and identify current approvals and required tenancy, change-of-use, development, building, trade, fire, sign and business processes for the address.
A zoning map, prior tenant, business registration or landlord representation is not municipal confirmation that the proposed operation and layout can occupy the suite.
5. Test accessibility, life safety and building systems
Coordinate qualified review of entrances, paths, elevators, washrooms, exits, fire separations, alarms, sprinklers, occupant load, ventilation, HVAC, power and proposed alterations. Identify base-building and premises responsibilities.
An occupied building or existing permit does not prove that every record is complete or that a new layout, density or activity can proceed unchanged.
6. Verify technology, security and operating continuity
Document telecom routes and providers, electrical demand, data rooms, backup power, access control, after-hours entry, loading, deliveries, records storage and emergency dependencies. Test critical requirements with the responsible providers.
A nearby fibre route, generator or visible equipment does not prove usable capacity, service level or tenant rights. Record cost, ownership, approvals and delivery time.
7. Reconcile lease rights, work and delivery
Map premises, area, use, services, access, parking, signs, improvements, allowances, relocation, redevelopment, restoration and delivery standards to the executed lease and work schedules.
Landlord consent and municipal approval answer different questions. Possession, fixturing, rent commencement and lawful occupancy should remain separate gates.
8. Maintain a decision and evidence record
Index source, date, author, address, suite, conclusion, limitation, open issue, owner and decision for every material item. Preserve superseded plans and unresolved discrepancies.
Commercially can organize listing information, property search and brokerage conditions. Qualified authorities and professionals control title, area, use, code, accessibility, systems, lease, environmental, tax and occupancy conclusions.
Primary sources
Verify the current rules.
Government and regulator pages can change. These links were reviewed on August 26, 2026.
RECA: Real Estate Act Rules↗Alberta: Find land titles, documents or plans↗CRA: Commercial real property—sales and rentals↗Alberta: Building codes and standards↗Alberta: Fire codes and standards↗Alberta: Permits and the safety-code system↗Calgary: Opening a business↗Calgary: Changes to existing buildings↗Edmonton: Zoning approval for a business↗Edmonton: Changes to existing buildings and sites↗A real property decision?
Share the operation, candidate address or Alberta market, headcount, premises criteria, approval questions, budget and occupancy date.Who, how and why
Who: Commercially Research & Editorial.
How: Primary-source research and AI-assisted drafting were used to organize this guide around a practical commercial real estate decision. Source links, factual claims and material limitations were checked against Commercially's editorial standards on the review date.
Why: To help owners, buyers and tenants identify the records, questions and professional advice that belong in a real transaction work plan.
Editorial owner: Commercially Research & Editorial.
Commercial review: Slav Loban, Commercial Real Estate Division Leader.
Questions or corrections: hello@commercially.ca
Editorial review and correction standard →