In the past, I have seen that the main reason places will let commercial real estate stay vacant rather than lowering the rent is to do with how CRE financing works. To disincentivize this behavior, there should be a 12% tax increase for every year that it remains unoccupied without lowering the rent. After enough time, they will either lower the rent and get a tenant (at which point the tax increase goes away) or the property will be lost to taxes. For every year that it is unoccupied for more than half the year , they should get the 12% , so on year 2 its a 24% additional tax, year 3 it is a 36% additional text etc... After they have a full year of occupancy with a business of some kind, then the all the increased taxes go away. If they don't make it through the whole year occupied but had at least 6 months , don't add another 12% on top, but leave the prior years amounts on .