---
title: "Melbourne relocation guide"
description: "Moving an existing office into Melbourne — what changes, what carries over, and what to budget."
canonical: https://classa.info/cities/melbourne/relocation-guide
pageType: city-topic
lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z
license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)."
---

> Moving into Melbourne from another Tier 1 market means re-baselining occupancy economics in AUD, re-running headcount density against local norms, and translating lease terminology to local conventions.

## TL;DR

- Re-baseline occupancy in AUD (then USD for comparison).
- Local lease conventions differ — translate terms via the Lease Term Translator.
- Density assumptions vary materially by region; revalidate.
- Build local counsel and broker relationships before the LOI, not after.

# Melbourne relocation guide

**Moving into Melbourne from another Tier 1 market means re-baselining occupancy economics in AUD, re-running headcount [density](/glossary/density) against local norms, and translating lease terminology to local conventions.**

## TL;DR

- Re-baseline occupancy in AUD (then USD for comparison).
- Local lease conventions differ — translate terms via the Lease Term Translator.
- Density assumptions vary materially by region; revalidate.
- Build local counsel and broker relationships before the LOI, not after.

## Re-baseline economics

Headline Melbourne rent is A$720/sqm/yr · ≈ $43.5 PSF/yr USD. Translate your incumbent occupancy cost-per-seat to the same basis using the Occupancy Cost tool. Most [cross-border](/topics/cross-border-expansion) moves underestimate [fit-out](/topics/fit-out-capex)">fit-out timeline and overestimate density transferability.

## Translate the contract

Net leases. 7-10 year terms standard. Incentives of 30-45% (combination of free rent, fitout, and [rent abatement](/topics/class-a-lease-negotiation)) typical on a 10-year [Class A](/glossary/class-a) deal. Use the Lease Term Translator to map terminology before reading the LOI.

## Build the local stack

Engage a tenant-rep broker, local counsel, an MEP/AV designer with Melbourne project history, and a project manager who has run a Class A fit-out in this market in the last 24 months.

## Key facts

| city | Melbourne|
| country | Australia|
| region | APAC|
| classARentLocal | A$720/sqm/yr · ≈ $43.5 PSF/yr USD|
| classARentUsd | $43/sqft/yr|
| vacancy | 18.4%|
| typicalLeaseYears | 7|
| typicalRentFreeMonths | 14|
| submarkets | 5|
| primeYieldPct | 5.4%|

## Frequently asked questions

****Can I keep the same density assumption when moving to Melbourne?****
: Not without revalidation. Local density norms differ; loss factors differ; meeting-room intensity expectations differ. Re-run the Office Space Calculator with Melbourne-specific defaults.

## Editorial provenance

Reviewed by [**Kenji Watanabe**](/about/authors/kenji-watanabe) — APAC 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

- [**Cross-border Expansion**](/topics/cross-border-expansion) — How to run a coordinated Class A office search across multiple geographies.

---

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