What's a typical lease term in Washington DC?

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

How is rent quoted in Washington DC?

In USD/sqft/year. We also publish a USD-normalised view ($58/sqft/yr) for cross-market comparison.

Modified-gross structures with operating-expense pass-throughs over a base year.

Typical lease length: 10 years.
Typical rent-free: 14 months.
Vacancy: 19.4%; trend flat.
Modified-gross structures with operating-expense pass-throughs over a base year.

Washington DC office lease norms

Modified-gross structures with operating-expense pass-throughs over a base year.

TL;DR

Typical lease length: 10 years.
Typical rent-free: 14 months.
Vacancy: 19.4%; trend flat.
Modified-gross structures with operating-expense pass-throughs over a base year.

Structure

Modified-gross structures with operating-expense pass-throughs over a base year. Federal GSA leases are typically full-service with cap on operating-expense growth. Free rent of 14-18 months and TI allowances of $130-$150/sqft are typical on 10-year private-sector deals.

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	Washington DC
country	United States
region	Americas
classARentLocal	58 USD/sqft/yr
classARentUsd	$58/sqft/yr
vacancy	19.4%
typicalLeaseYears	10
typicalRentFreeMonths	14
submarkets	6
primeYieldPct	6.3%

Frequently asked questions

What's a typical lease term in Washington DC?: 10 years for institutional Class A. Shorter terms are achievable on smaller floor plates with stronger covenants.
How is rent quoted in Washington DC?: In USD/sqft/year. We also publish a USD-normalised view ($58/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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