Commercial property to rent: how to find premises for business
Start with what you will do in the premises
The type of work decides almost everything. A café needs water, drainage, an exhaust hood and enough electrical power. A pharmacy needs a ground floor and an entrance from the street. A warehouse needs a loading dock, truck access and ceiling height. An office is fine in an ordinary building with good internet. If you do not give the purpose, the owner will offer everything, and half the options will drop out at once.
What to put in your request
- type of premises — office, retail, warehouse, production, for a café;
- area — city, locality or street;
- size — a range, for example 2,000–3,000 sq ft;
- rent — a monthly total or per sq ft;
- kind of business — the requirements for the premises depend on it;
- floor and entrance — ground floor, separate entrance, main-road frontage, ramp;
- electrical power — in kW, and whether you need a three-phase supply;
- condition — ready to work, fitted out, or a bare shell;
- rental term — for example, from two years.
Example: “I need premises for a production workshop in Central, 2,000–3,000 sq ft. Three-phase power from 30 kW, a separate entrance, access for a small truck. Rent up to HK$3.14 per sq ft, agreement from 2 years.”
What to check before you sign an agreement
Ask whether maintenance charges, running costs and property tax are in the price or paid separately. Find out who the owner is and whether they have the right to let the premises, and that they are not mortgaged. Find out whether you can register a business address there, if you need one.
Agree separately on a rent-free period for fit-out, on who pays for permanent improvements to the premises, and on how the rent rises. Always view the premises in person and check the electrics, windows and cooling. A typical mistake is to agree on a price per sq ft and not find out whether it is counted on the built-up area or on the usable area.
How it works through BlaBlaPrice
You describe your need once, and owners and agents from your city reply in the chat: which premises, the price or what it depends on, the terms, photos. The request is checked before it is shown, and BlaBlaPrice shows the offer that is best on the merits first. Owners see where they stand among the others, so they often improve their terms. Your phone number stays hidden until you choose whom to give it to. More: how it works.
If you know the type of property, search more precisely: offices to rent, retail premises or warehouses and industrial premises.
