For eight years, I ran my business, Erin’s Faces, out of my home.
Not just me — a whole team, orders coming in and out, meetings — all crammed into a house that just wasn’t built for it.

By the end of 2018, it became clear: we needed a real office space.
In January 2019, I signed my very first commercial lease.

At first, the landlord seemed great — he was chatty, upbeat, and very accommodating in our early conversations. I thought, This is going to be a good move.

But there were signs I didn’t fully recognize at the time:

• Pushed signing during a chaotic time:
  The weekend of Thanksgiving — the busiest time of year for me — he insisted I come in and finalize everything. No flexibility, no willingness to wait until Monday. It felt rushed, like he wanted me to sign under pressure.

• Showed up at my house in a police uniform:
  He rang my doorbell in full volunteer police officer gear, standing outside in a squad car. It felt like an intimidation tactic dressed up as a "friendly visit."

• Changed agreed-upon terms at the last minute:
  We had discussed fixing the broken front door — he agreed verbally. But at lease signing, he made me cross it out, saying, “I’m not going to do that, it’s fine.”

• Promised repairs he never made:
  He said he would fix a leak in the ceiling, clean decals off of windows, address all sorts of things. They never happened.

And unfortunately, after I signed, everything escalated — from unaddressed maintenance issues to communication breakdowns to repeatedly getting yelled at in front of my team.

Six months later, due to neglect of the space, we had to exit the lease altogether.
Something that should have been a new chapter for our business turned into a hard (and expensive) lesson.

Why these were red flags (and what I learned):

• Urgency is a manipulation tool.
  If someone is forcing you to make a big decision when you’re overwhelmed or distracted, pause. Good landlords respect that leases are serious and should be signed thoughtfully.

• Power plays reveal priorities.
  A landlord who needs to “prove” their authority upfront is showing you that cooperation might not be the norm.

• Changing terms at the 11th hour is a giant waving red flag.
  If they’re comfortable going back on their word once, they’ll do it again.

• Empty promises about repairs are a preview of future problems.
  If they won’t honor small agreements before you sign, they won’t honor bigger ones afterward.

The truth is, space matters — but who you rent from matters just as much. If I could go back, I'd trust my gut at those early signs and keep looking.

Your business, your peace, and your sanity are too important to hand over lightly.  Stand firm in what's right, know your boundaries and don't let yourself be intimidated.  You can do it!