What's a typical lease term in Zurich?

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

How is rent quoted in Zurich?

In CHF/sqft/year. We also publish a USD-normalised view ($105/sqft/yr) for cross-market comparison.

Standard 5-10 year leases.

Typical lease length: 7 years.
Typical rent-free: 6 months.
Vacancy: 3.8%; trend flat.
Standard 5-10 year leases.

Zurich office lease norms

Standard 5-10 year leases.

TL;DR

Typical lease length: 7 years.
Typical rent-free: 6 months.
Vacancy: 3.8%; trend flat.
Standard 5-10 year leases.

Structure

Standard 5-10 year leases. Rent indexed to Swiss CPI annually. Nebenkosten billed separately. Cautio (deposit) of 3-6 months standard. Cantonal stamp duty applies.

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	Zurich
country	Switzerland
region	EMEA
classARentLocal	95 CHF/sqft/yr
classARentUsd	$105/sqft/yr
vacancy	3.8%
typicalLeaseYears	7
typicalRentFreeMonths	6
submarkets	5
primeYieldPct	3.2%

Frequently asked questions

What's a typical lease term in Zurich?: 7 years for institutional Class A. Shorter terms are achievable on smaller floor plates with stronger covenants.
How is rent quoted in Zurich?: In CHF/sqft/year. We also publish a USD-normalised view ($105/sqft/yr) for cross-market comparison.

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

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

Full sources index · Submit a correction