Reading the space, not just the lease
Most lease negotiations in London are won or lost before either side sits down to talk. The occupier who arrives with market evidence, a clear walk-away position and an understanding of where a landlord genuinely has flexibility will consistently outperform one negotiating on instinct.
Anchor to real comparables, not the quoted rent
A landlord’s asking rent is a starting position, not a valuation. Occupiers who negotiate using actual transacted rents from comparable buildings in the same submarket, ideally from the last quarter rather than the last year, hold a much stronger position. This is exactly what SHB’s market intelligence platforms are built for, replacing guesswork with current transactional evidence.
Treat the rent-free period as a genuine lever
Rent-free periods aren’t a fixed courtesy; they’re one of the most negotiable elements of any deal, particularly where a landlord has a vacant unit costing them money every month it sits empty. The right rent-free period, tied sensibly to fit-out timelines, can materially change the effective cost of a lease without touching the headline rent figure a board sees.
Get the break clause right, not just present
A break clause that exists on paper but comes with unworkable conditions, vacant possession requirements, strict notice periods, no arrears whatsoever, isn’t much use to an occupier. Negotiating the mechanics of the break, not just its existence, is where the real protection sits.
Push dilapidations liability upstream
Dilapidations claims at lease end catch far too many occupiers off guard, sometimes running into six figures for a mid-sized office. Agreeing a schedule of condition at the outset, and capping reinstatement obligations where possible, shifts that risk before it becomes a dispute. Our building consultancy team handles this at the point of negotiation specifically to avoid it becoming a costly surprise years later.
Negotiate the service charge cap, not just the rent
Service charge is often treated as a fixed cost outside negotiation. It isn’t. A capped or fixed service charge, or at minimum a right to audit, protects an occupier from unexplained year-on-year increases that a landlord has little incentive to control.
Use an advisor who only works for the occupier
A landlord’s agent is paid by the landlord and structurally aligned with getting the best deal for them. An occupier-only advisor has no such conflict, which changes the tone and the leverage of every point above. It’s the reason SHB works exclusively on the occupier side of every acquisition and renewal.
