Cell Tower Lease Owners: How do you respond to letters requesting

Cell Tower Lease Owners: How do you respond to letters requesting

Seattle, WA · Member since 2015 · 20 posts · 6 votes

Hi everyone,

My property has a cell phone tower on its roof, and I just received a letter from the carrier saying they've decommissioned some of their microwaves, and that they want us to reduce rent in light of this usage change.

There's an implied threat of terminating the lease ("<carrier> will similarly consider this site's viability and continue to evaluate alternatives").

Now, I assume they'd have to at least stick around for the next several years until the end of the current arm of our lease, but I do enjoy the stability of having a much longer term lease with them.

So... is this just a bluff, to shake out people who are easy? I'm thinking of calling them on their bluff, and saying we can consider renegotiating at the end of the current arm (in ~3 years), or just completely ignoring their letter, and assuming this is just an empty threat, and that they'll only go after the people who actually reply at all. After all, taking down a tower and building it up elsewhere should cost them far more than a $100 break in monthly rent will net them.

How would you proceed, in light of receiving such a letter?

Many thanks!

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Roanoke, VA · Member since 2014 · 404 posts · 203 votes
7y

@David Kim I wouldn’t want to let them know that it’s causing you any heartburn... they will “smell the blood in the water.”

Maybe you could counter offer and agree to the reduced rent if they go ahead and lock into a renewal period.

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  • Real Estate Broker · St. Louis, MO · Member since 2014 · 206 posts · 194 votes
    7y

    First thing first, your goal should be to not lose that tenant.....  Wireless income (towers, ground lease, etc.) is icing on the cake.  Don't lose it! 

    Keeping in mind the first goal above, your secondary goal is to maximize any renegotiation that you enter into.  There is an art and science to this.  There is a chance that this is a pure bluff (There are companies out there that work on the behalf of carriers that simply call on these leases and get commissions based on any rental reductions).  Then again, there is a chance that it is not.  It could be either one.  

    I was just talking today with a property owner that played hard ball with AT&T (before they called me) on a rooftop site and lost (i.e. AT&T is moving off the rooftop as we speak).  The property owner had no wireless experience (junior level property manager), thought they were in a stronger position then they were, and just lost AT&T as a rooftop tenant.  They were very caviler in the way they approached it..... (i.e. "If they don't like it, screw them.... we don't need their money...where else are they going to go...... etc. etc.).

    Here is what they lost.....  ~$3000Mo Rent X 12 Months = $36K Annually / .05 (Cap Rate based on building and location) = $720,000.  Now this is a Class A building in a great area of the St. Louis metro area that is worth a lot of money, but still.....  That is close to $750k of lost value in a blink.  Wouldn't want my building managed by that property manager!  Its not like your going to fill that "rooftop space" with a law firm.

  • Seattle, WA · Member since 2015 · 20 posts · 6 votes
    7y

    Agreed, I definitely don't want to lose them, but my location is growing, and I also know they wouldn't reach out to me to have them increase their rent when they add more equipment, in a neighborhood I know is growing.

    Can you tell me more about that Cap Rate component? How does 36K annually translate to 720K? Is that just based on an inflation of property value if they were to sell, because of the extra income if we assume 20 years of stability at that rate?

    And since I've got 3 more years on the current setup (with an additional 20 or so of optional renewals), wouldn't they be locked in for those 3 years anyway? Wouldn't they be reaching out to renegotiate closer to the end, so they don't breach lease and get taken to court?

    I was considering reaching out to some consulting experts on the matter, but I don't see how it can be win-win. If they successfully shoo them away, then I'm down by hundreds (or thousands) in consulting fees, which is the equivalent of losing some of that rent money anyway. Unless they can negotiate MORE money, which they couldn't, cause the carrier would just say, "nah we good" :)

    ... plus some of their websites are SO sketchy. One of them even has a "Hi, I'm Jamie, tee-hee" fake messenger box... I was half expecting it to tell me about local singles haha. I can't trust that kind of unprofessional front that's clearly not geared towards prudent business owners playing the long game.

  • Roanoke, VA · Member since 2014 · 404 posts · 203 votes
    7y

    @David Kim I wouldn’t want to let them know that it’s causing you any heartburn... they will “smell the blood in the water.”

    Maybe you could counter offer and agree to the reduced rent if they go ahead and lock into a renewal period.

  • Ronald RohdePro Member
    Attorney · Dallas, TX · Member since 2016 · 5k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    7y

    I think there's also two major differences between flat out breaching and walking away from balance of lease vs claiming you breached and they don't owe anything. 

    As noted, it's really important to understand who has leverage. It can go both ways but if you don't know the value or costs. It's difficult to negotiate. 

  • Real Estate Broker · St. Louis, MO · Member since 2014 · 206 posts · 194 votes
    7y

    @David Kim - The cap rate was simply based off of what the property would likely trade at on the open market.  It was a class A property in a great area.  Cap rates are a quick calculation of what return an investor requires on an investment.... i.e. an investor for this property would pay $720,000 for $36k of annual rent.  

    I would bet you that the carrier has the right to terminate this lease at any time so I would look into that before you determine that you have 3 more years by default.  The option renewals are 100% to the benefit of the tenant and not you.  


    There is a possibility that you could negotiate more money for more equipment modifications but it is very dependent on how your lease is written.

    Have you thought about selling the lease and keeping the underlying property/building.  I buy these types of deals if you are interested in talking on it.  

  • Investor · Phila, PA · Member since 2017 · 9 posts · 2 votes
    7y

    David, 

    My company has been working in cell tower consulting for a long time. I would be happy to at least chat with you about your options. We often can find clients money they didn't realize they should be getting. 

    All the best, 

    Joel 

  • Real Estate Broker · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2018 · 22 posts · 9 votes
    7y

    IF you decide to sell, I have an institutional client who is buying the existing cash flow cell towers, wind turbines and billboards at a fairly good rate.  Let me know if you would like to discuss.

  • Insurance Agent · Irvine, CA · Member since 2017 · 17 posts · 8 votes
    7y

    @David Kim

    I agree with the above comments that if a cell tower lease is not properly negotiated, you stand to considerably reduce the value of your property. 

    Even if you don't plan on selling, the tower lease income can help you keep the value and help secure a loan or refinance on the asset. 

    There are a few cell tower leasing companies out there that can help you with this - I work closely with one based in Texas. PM me and I will send you their information. 

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