Sounds impossible, right?!
But I have several clients who hasn’t paid rent, sometimes for several years —all legal, no loopholes, 100% legitimate.
I have another client won’t pay rent for the next twelve months. Zero out of pocket. And then getting paid to move out of their office space.
Welcome to the bizarre reality of Nashville’s office market. There are specific submarkets that have so much development demand, that office buildings are being converted into highly lucrative hotel projects, multi-family and/or condo conversions.
When buildings trade hands and ownership decides to pivot from office → hotel or office → mixed-use redevelopment, tenants suddenly find themselves in a powerful position. I’ve negotiated multiple lease terminations where the termination package was so substantial it covered:
-
Remaining rent
-
Moving costs
-
Build-out in the new space
-
And in some cases… left the tenant net neutral or even ahead
For certain tenants, this means they effectively operated their business rent-free for a period of time.
Nashville is one of the few markets in the country where this dynamic is happening at scale—and if you’re in an older or underperforming building, it might be worth understanding your options.
If you’re curious whether your lease or building situation qualifies you for a strategic exit (or a potential payday), happy to share what I’m seeing in the field.
So here’s the takeaway:
If your landlord ever approaches you about terminating your lease—or even hints at a redevelopment plan—it is critical to bring in a highly qualified commercial broker. These conversations are complex, emotional, and often one-sided unless you have someone advocating for you.
A strong broker can:
-
Negotiate aggressively on your behalf
-
Provide market comps and real-time leverage points
-
Identify the concessions ownership should be offering
-
Quantify hidden costs like downtime, relocation, buildout, and operational disruption
-
Present alternative spaces that keep your business running without financial surprises
In a market as unusual as Nashville, the right representation can be the difference between writing a large check… and operating rent-free.
