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

  • Re-baseline occupancy in EUR (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.

Frankfurt relocation guide

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

TL;DR

  • Re-baseline occupancy in EUR (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 Frankfurt rent is 55 EUR/sqft/yr ($60 USD). Translate your incumbent occupancy cost-per-seat to the same basis using the Occupancy Cost tool. Most cross-border moves underestimate fit-out">fit-out timeline and overestimate density transferability.

Translate the contract

German leases run 5-10 years with break rights. Rent reviews are indexed to the CPI (Verbraucherpreisindex). Tenant pays Nebenkosten (operating costs) on top of base rent. Cautio (security deposit) of 3-6 months is typical. 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 Frankfurt project history, and a project manager who has run a Class A fit-out in this market in the last 24 months.

Key facts

cityFrankfurt
countryGermany
regionEMEA
classARentLocal55 EUR/sqft/yr
classARentUsd$60/sqft/yr
vacancy8.4%
typicalLeaseYears7
typicalRentFreeMonths9
submarkets6
primeYieldPct4.4%

Frequently asked questions

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

Editorial provenance

Reviewed by Samuel Okafor — EMEA contributing editor. Last updated 2026-04-15. See our methodology and editorial standards.

Primary sources for this page

Full sources index · Submit a correction

Related topics