What's a typical lease term in Geneva?

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

How is rent quoted in Geneva?

In CHF/sqft/year. We also publish a USD-normalised view ($880/sqft/yr) for cross-market comparison.

Swiss double-net structure: tenant pays charges (operating costs) and indexed annual rent reviews.

Typical lease length: 5 years.
Typical rent-free: 4 months.
Vacancy: 5.2%; trend rising.
Swiss double-net structure: tenant pays charges (operating costs) and indexed annual rent reviews.

Geneva office lease norms

Swiss double-net structure: tenant pays charges (operating costs) and indexed annual rent reviews.

TL;DR

Typical lease length: 5 years.
Typical rent-free: 4 months.
Vacancy: 5.2%; trend rising.
Swiss double-net structure: tenant pays charges (operating costs) and indexed annual rent reviews.

Structure

Swiss double-net structure: tenant pays charges (operating costs) and indexed annual rent reviews. 5-10 year terms standard with break options. Rent-free periods of 3-6 months on 10-year terms typical — among the tightest in EMEA.

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	Geneva
country	Switzerland
region	EMEA
classARentLocal	800 CHF/sqft/yr
classARentUsd	$880/sqft/yr
vacancy	5.2%
typicalLeaseYears	5
typicalRentFreeMonths	4
submarkets	5
primeYieldPct	3.4%

Frequently asked questions

What's a typical lease term in Geneva?: 5 years for institutional Class A. Shorter terms are achievable on smaller floor plates with stronger covenants.
How is rent quoted in Geneva?: In CHF/sqft/year. We also publish a USD-normalised view ($880/sqft/yr) for cross-market comparison.

Editorial provenance

Reviewed by Class A Atlas Editorial Desk — House byline · global editorial team. 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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