Can I insist my landlord confirm in writing that the lease is in good standing before I sell?

You can ask, and most buyers will want exactly this before closing — it's commonly done through what's called an estoppel certificate (or sometimes a tenant/landlord status statement), where the landlord confirms things like the lease being in good standing, the rent being current, no outstanding defaults on either side, and the key terms actually in effect. Whether the landlord is legally obligated to provide one, though, depends on your lease — many commercial leases include a clause requiring the landlord to give a status statement on reasonable request, but not all do.

Where the lease doesn't require it, the landlord may still cooperate as a practical matter, since buyers and their lenders often insist on this kind of confirmation as a condition of proceeding, and a cooperative landlord generally has an interest in keeping the deal (and their good tenant relationship) moving forward.

Because a buyer's financing and closing conditions frequently depend on this document, request it early rather than waiting until the final stages of the deal. A Treadstone business lawyer can check whether your lease entitles you to one and help request it in the right form.