---
title: "London Class A office: frequently asked questions"
description: "Quick answers to the questions occupiers ask most about London Class A office leasing."
canonical: https://classa.info/cities/london/faq
pageType: city-topic
lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z
license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)."
---

> Quick reference: London Class A rent is £95/sqft/yr · ≈ $121 PSF/yr USD ($121 USD), typical term 10 years, 24 months free.

## TL;DR

- Class A rent: £95/sqft/yr · ≈ $121 PSF/yr USD.
- Typical term: 10 years.
- Typical rent-free: 24 months.
- Vacancy: 8.6%.

# London Class A office: frequently asked questions

**Quick reference: London [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent is £95/sqft/yr · ≈ $121 PSF/yr USD ($121 USD), typical term 10 years, 24 months free.**

## TL;DR

- Class A rent: £95/sqft/yr · ≈ $121 PSF/yr USD.
- Typical term: 10 years.
- Typical rent-free: 24 months.
- Vacancy: 8.6%.

## Quick reference

Use this page as the fast-answer reference for London. Deep coverage lives on the city page, the topic pages, and the comparison views.

## Key facts

| city | London|
| country | United Kingdom|
| region | EMEA|
| classARentLocal | £95/sqft/yr · ≈ $121 PSF/yr USD|
| classARentUsd | $121/sqft/yr|
| vacancy | 8.6%|
| typicalLeaseYears | 10|
| typicalRentFreeMonths | 24|
| submarkets | 7|
| primeYieldPct | 4.5%|

## Frequently asked questions

****What is the difference between FRI and a US gross lease?****
: Under a Full Repairing and Insuring lease, the tenant is responsible for the cost of internal repair, insurance reimbursement, and a proportional share of building maintenance via the [service charge](/glossary/service-charge). A US modified-gross lease bundles [base building](/glossary/base-building) services into base rent and escalates over a [base year](/glossary/base-year).

****What are dilapidations and how much should we budget?****
: [Dilapidations](/glossary/dilapidations) are a tenant's contractual obligation to return the premises to the condition specified in the lease (commonly 'good and substantial repair', or to a CAT A specification). Provision £35-£75/sqft on a high-end [fit-out](/topics/fit-out-capex)">fit-out at lease-end as a planning estimate.

****Are break clauses standard in London leases?****
: Yes. A 10-year lease with a tenant break at year 5 is the most common institutional structure today. Conditions on the break (vacant possession, no material breach, all rent paid) must be drafted carefully — they are the most litigated part of London office leases.

****How much rent-free is typical?****
: On a 10-year term, 18-24 months of rent-free is standard; trophy lease-ups can push to 30. On a 5-year term to a strong covenant, 9-15 months.

****Are business rates negotiable?****
: No — the rateable value is set by the Valuation Office Agency. Tenants can appeal a valuation and structure leases to allocate rates risk, but the underlying liability is statutory.

## 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.
- [**Hybrid Workplace Strategy**](/topics/hybrid-workplace-strategy) — How to size, structure, and lease a Class A office for a hybrid workforce.
- [**ESG / LEED for Tenants**](/topics/esg-leed-tenants) — How tenants evaluate, negotiate, and report on ESG performance in a Class A office lease.
- [**Cross-border Expansion**](/topics/cross-border-expansion) — How to run a coordinated Class A office search across multiple geographies.
- [**Fit-out Capex**](/topics/fit-out-capex) — How to budget, sequence, and govern Class A office fit-out capex.
- [**Lease vs Flex**](/topics/lease-vs-flex) — When premium flex (coworking, managed office) beats a conventional Class A lease — and vice versa.

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