Real Estate Dictionary:
Tenant Improvements (TIS)
Those changes, typically to office, retail, or industrial property, to accommodate specific needs of a tenant. Include moving interior walls or partitions, carpeting or other floor covering, shelves, windows, toilets, etc. The cost of these is negotiated in the lease.
Example: In negotiation with Pag Stores for a new five-year lease on space in a regional mall at an annual rent of $30 per square foot, Crosins Properties agreed to pay up to $20 psf for tenant improvements. Pag Stores needs to put in new carpets, light fixtures, doors, and windows, which will cost considerably more than the allowance.