Beating Unfair Rent Hikes to Go Free-of-Tie

The Eight Bells in Fulham is a historic, wet-led pub with a loyal customer base and strong trade. The operators wanted to go free-of-tie to gain greater flexibility over suppliers and improve profit margins. However, the landlord demanded a substantial rent increase, making the MRO lease financially unviable.

With the risk of an unfair rent increase wiping out the benefits of going free-of-tie, the tenant turned to MDE Pub Consultants to challenge the proposed rent and secure a deal that would keep the business profitable.

Recognising the importance of the Eight Bells’ wet-led model, we:

✅ Challenged the landlord’s excessive rent proposal using detailed market comparisons.

✅ Presented a case based on true trading conditions, proving that the proposed rent did not reflect a realistic free-of-tie market valuation.

✅ Highlighted the sustainability of the site, ensuring that the rent allowed the tenant to remain profitable while benefiting from supplier flexibility.

Using our deep expertise in MRO negotiations, we pushed back against the landlord’s attempt to inflate the rent beyond a fair market level.

Through strategic negotiation and expert representation, we secured a fair MRO rent that allowed the Eight Bells to go free-of-tie without financial strain. As a result:

✅ The pub’s profitability increased by 150%, thanks to reduced supplier costs and better margins.

✅ The landlord’s inflated rent proposal was dismissed, ensuring a sustainable and fair rental agreement.

✅ The tenant now has full control over their product range, allowing them to offer better value and quality to customers.

This case highlights how landlords often inflate MRO rents to discourage tenants from going free-of-tie. Without expert representation, many tenants end up with unrealistic rental costs that erase the benefits of breaking the tie.

At MDE Pub Consultants, we specialise in challenging excessive rent demands, ensuring tenants get a fair deal that allows them to thrive.

“Going free-of-tie was a game-changer for The Eight Bells, but the landlord’s initial rent demand was completely unrealistic and would have made it impossible. Michael and MDE Pub Consultants fought our corner brilliantly, challenging the inflated figures and securing a fair market rent that allowed us to break the tie without financial strain.