What's a typical lease term in Boston?

10 years for institutional Class A. Shorter terms are achievable on smaller floor plates with stronger covenants.

How is rent quoted in Boston?

In USD/sqft/year. We also publish a USD-normalised view ($78/sqft/yr) for cross-market comparison.

Modified-gross with op-ex escalations.

Typical lease length: 10 years.
Typical rent-free: 18 months.
Vacancy: 19.5%; trend flat.
Modified-gross with op-ex escalations.

Boston office lease norms

Modified-gross with op-ex escalations.

TL;DR

Typical lease length: 10 years.
Typical rent-free: 18 months.
Vacancy: 19.5%; trend flat.
Modified-gross with op-ex escalations.

Structure

Modified-gross with op-ex escalations. Rent-free 18-24 months on 10-year term standard. Lab leases carry distinct economics — base rent plus operating expenses plus utilities pass-through.

Negotiating levers

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

Key facts

city	Boston
country	United States
region	Americas
classARentLocal	78 USD/sqft/yr
classARentUsd	$78/sqft/yr
vacancy	19.5%
typicalLeaseYears	10
typicalRentFreeMonths	18
submarkets	6
primeYieldPct	6.2%

Frequently asked questions

What's a typical lease term in Boston?: 10 years for institutional Class A. Shorter terms are achievable on smaller floor plates with stronger covenants.
How is rent quoted in Boston?: In USD/sqft/year. We also publish a USD-normalised view ($78/sqft/yr) for cross-market comparison.

Editorial provenance

Reviewed by Miriam Hollander — Lead market analyst. Last updated 2026-04-15. See our methodology and editorial standards.

Primary sources for this page

CBRE Marketview reports — CBRE
JLL Office Insight — JLL
Cushman & Wakefield Marketbeat — Cushman & Wakefield
Savills World Research — Savills
Colliers Global Office Outlook — Colliers

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