Can a landlord demand a brand new lease instead of just assigning the old one?

A landlord can propose it, but generally cannot force it unless your lease itself gives the landlord that kind of leverage — for example, a clause letting the landlord terminate and offer a new lease instead of consenting to an assignment. Absent such a clause, the tenant's right to assign (subject to consent) is a right under the existing lease, and a landlord who simply refuses to honour it in favour of demanding fresh terms may be acting outside what the lease actually permits.

In practice, though, landlords often use the assignment request as an opening to negotiate — pushing for a new lease with updated rent, a longer term, or different conditions, especially if current rents in the area have moved since your lease was signed. Whether you have to agree depends on your bargaining position and, again, on the exact wording of your assignment and recapture provisions.

This is exactly the kind of clause where the fine print controls the outcome, so it's worth having a lawyer review your lease before you respond to a landlord's demand for a new lease. A Treadstone business lawyer can assess whether the demand is enforceable or just a negotiating tactic.