If you’re in a lease and the rent is feeling like too much you’re not alone. Loads of businesses are in the same spot. The good news is, landlords will talk. The trick is knowing how to approach it and what cards you’ve got to play.

First off, dont assume your landlord won’t be open to a conversation. Empty space is expensive for them too. If you’re a decent tenant, paying your rent (or mostly keeping up), they’d often rather find a solution than risk you walking away or defaulting.

So, what should you do? Start by getting your facts straight. How much space do you actually use? What are similar buildings charging nearby? Whats your break clause (if you’ve got one), and when’s your lease expiry? The more info you have, the stronger your position.

Now, this is where a tenant-only advisor can really help. These are agents who don’t act for landlords; they act only for occupiers like you. That means no conflict of interest, and they’re completely focused on getting you the best deal.

Heres how they do it:

Market intel
A good advisor knows what deals are being done right now. If similar spaces nearby are letting for less, that’s your leverage.

Landlord strategy
They know how landlords think. They’ll position your negotiation so it hits the right buttons long-term income, reduced vacancy risk, keeping a good tenant in place.

Repackaging your lease
This might mean extending your lease in exchange for lower rent, or adding a break clause, or restructuring how the rent steps up over time. These are tools landlords understand and can work with.

Protecting your anonymity
Sometimes it helps to have someone else do the talking. An advisor can go to market quietly, test other options, or approach your landlord without making it obvious that youre desperate.

Avoiding the emotion
It’s your business, your cashflow so it’s personal. A good advisor keeps the conversation professional and commercially focused.

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Some landlords will hold firm. Others will surprise you with how flexible they can be, especially if the markets soft or they’ve got pressure from lenders.

The key is: don’t bury your head. You’ve got options. But the earlier you have the conversation and the better prepared you are the more likely you are to walk away with something that works.

So yes, your landlord will talk. And with the right strategy (and maybe the right advisor), you’ll be in a much stronger position than you think.