---
title: "Berlin office lease norms"
description: "Lease structure, term length, concessions, and the unwritten rules of leasing Class A office in Berlin."
canonical: https://classa.info/cities/berlin/leasing-conventions
pageType: city-topic
lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z
license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)."
---

> Net leases dominate.

## TL;DR

- Typical lease length: 5 years.
- Typical rent-free: 4 months.
- Vacancy: 7.4%; trend flat.
- Net leases dominate.

# Berlin office lease norms

**Net leases dominate.**

## TL;DR

- Typical lease length: 5 years.
- Typical rent-free: 4 months.
- Vacancy: 7.4%; trend flat.
- Net leases dominate.

## Structure

Net leases dominate. 5-10 year terms; tenants frequently negotiate break options at year 3 or 5. Free rent of 3-6 months on a 5-year deal; TI of €60-€100/sqm typical.

## Negotiating levers

Free rent and TI remain the most negotiable line items; landlords prefer concessions to face-rent cuts because they preserve [headline rent](/glossary/headline-rent) and implied valuation. Always model [effective rent](/glossary/effective-rent) (face minus PV of concessions).

## Key facts

| city | Berlin|
| country | Germany|
| region | EMEA|
| classARentLocal | €44/sqm/mo · ≈ $53 PSF/yr USD|
| classARentUsd | $53/sqft/yr|
| vacancy | 7.4%|
| typicalLeaseYears | 5|
| typicalRentFreeMonths | 4|
| submarkets | 5|
| primeYieldPct | 4.3%|

## Frequently asked questions

****What's a typical lease term in Berlin?****
: 5 years for institutional [Class A](/glossary/class-a). Shorter terms are achievable on smaller floor plates with stronger covenants.

****How is rent quoted in Berlin?****
: In EUR/sqft/year. We also publish a USD-normalised view ($53/sqft/yr) for cross-market comparison.

## Editorial provenance

Reviewed by [**Samuel Okafor**](/about/authors/samuel-okafor) — EMEA contributing editor. Last updated 2026-04-15. See our [methodology](/about/methodology) and [editorial standards](/about/editorial-standards).

### Primary sources for this page

- [CBRE Marketview reports](https://www.cbre.com/insights) — CBRE
- [JLL Office Insight](https://www.jll.com/en/trends-and-insights) — JLL
- [Cushman & Wakefield Marketbeat](https://www.cushmanwakefield.com/en/insights) — Cushman & Wakefield
- [Savills World Research](https://www.savills.com/research_articles/) — Savills
- [Colliers Global Office Outlook](https://www.colliers.com/en/research) — Colliers

[Full sources index](/about/sources) · [Submit a correction](/about/corrections)

## Related topics

- [**Class A Lease Negotiation**](/topics/class-a-lease-negotiation) — How to negotiate a Class A office lease — the playbook from LOI to signed deal.
- [**APAC Lease Conventions**](/topics/apac-lease-conventions) — How APAC office lease conventions differ from US/UK — and how to translate before signing.

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Citation: Source: Class A Atlas (https://classa.info/cities/berlin/leasing-conventions), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.