The SALT Lease
SALT is a shorter, standardized lease structure designed for startup-speed occupancy. Inspired by the way YC's SAFE helped standardize early-stage financing, SALT brings a similar philosophy to startup office leasing: clearer terms, fewer unnecessary pages, and a faster path from interest to occupancy.
SALTstack™ is not affiliated with or endorsed by Y Combinator.
Traditional office leases often run 55 pages, even for relatively simple office occupancy. That length creates legal review, negotiation cycles, and process drag that can slow down move-in by weeks.
SALT is designed for a different workflow: a concise Master Lease Agreement, a deal-specific Service Schedule, and clear exhibits that let teams understand the business terms and legal framework faster.
SALT is designed to be materially shorter than many traditional office leases while preserving the core protections needed for a credible commercial lease. The goal is not to remove important legal protections — it is to remove unnecessary bloat, standardize recurring terms, and make the deal-specific terms easier to review.
YC's SAFE helped founders and investors move faster by creating a standardized, trusted framework for early-stage financing. SALT applies that same idea to startup office leasing: standardize the legal infrastructure, move deal-specific terms into a clear schedule, and reduce unnecessary back-and-forth.
SALT is not a financing document. The comparison is conceptual: standardization, speed, and reduced friction.
The deal-specific schedule for the tenant, premises, term, pricing, furniture, services, notice emails, broker information, credits, and exhibits.
The standardized legal rulebook incorporated by reference into each Service Schedule.
Property-specific and jurisdiction-specific attachments, including floorplans, furniture schedules, building rules, accessibility notices, and insurance requirements.
The current SALT forms are designed for California office transactions using the SALTstack private-office model. Additional versions may be released over time for other jurisdictions, longer-term arrangements, construction or tenant-improvement scenarios, and partner-landlord implementations.
SALT Service Schedule
v1.0 California Office Pilot
SALT Master Lease Agreement
v1.0 California Office Pilot
SALT Insurance Requirements
v1.0 California Office Pilot
v1.0 — California Office Pilot
Initial SALT Service Schedule and Master Lease Agreement for private office occupancy.
The SALT documents are provided for informational purposes only and are not legal advice. SALTstack does not assume responsibility for the contents of, use of, or consequences of using any SALT document or other document made available on this website. Before using any SALT form, you should consult with a lawyer licensed in the jurisdiction where the applicable property is located and, if different, where your company is formed or organized.
The SALT forms may not be suitable for every transaction, property, tenant, landlord, lender, or jurisdiction. Final documents are subject to property-specific terms, legal review, and approval by the applicable parties.
SALTstack is not affiliated with or endorsed by Y Combinator.