How to choose office space, evaluation criteria and landlord negotiations.

Most tenants judge a space on three things - address, price, floor. That is understandable, and not enough. A building's technical specification, the lease terms and what the landlord is willing to put into the fit-out affect the project's final cost just as much as the headline rent. A proper assessment at the selection stage saves both money and stress once the project is under way.

Technical checks for a viewing

Ceiling height and column grid

Clear height from floor to soffit should be at least 2,700 mm in open areas, or 2,400 mm where a suspended ceiling carries services. Below that, ventilation, lighting and acoustics all get more expensive, and the finished result looks worse.

The column grid drives planning efficiency. A modular 6 by 6 m or 6 by 9 m grid supports clean rows of desks with little waste. An irregular grid, 4.5 by 7.2 m for example, creates dead zones and pushes up the cost of the furniture solution.

Engineering systems

• Power. Ask the landlord for the dedicated capacity per floor and the load per square metre. An air-conditioned office with a full IT load needs 60-80 W/sqm, a server room or a production lab needs 150 W/sqm or more.
• Ventilation and cooling. Ask whether there is a central chiller or a VRF system, whether the capacity covers your floor and whether maintenance is included in the service charge.
• Internet and telecoms. Ask which providers already serve the building, whether there is a redundant connection and where the server room sits on the floor.
• Fire alarm and sprinklers. Ask who is responsible for adapting the system when the layout changes, the tenant or the landlord.

Planning efficiency

Do not confuse the gross leased area with the usable working area. Depending on how the floor is laid out, efficiency can run 70-85% of leased area, the rest goes to columns, toilets, risers and shared corridors. Ask for the floor plan and calculate it yourself, or with a designer.

Location and infrastructure

Tashkent is a city with heavy traffic, so transport links have a direct effect on hiring and retention. Check the distance to the nearest metro station, what public transport routes serve the area, and how much parking is available (the rule of thumb is one space per 50-70 sqm leased).

Banks, restaurants, pharmacies and shops around the building are a real factor in keeping staff, especially if the office has no canteen of its own. Check what sits within a 10-15 minute walk.

Lease terms to watch for

Lease length and options

Fit-out is capital spend by the tenant. The shorter the lease, the higher the annual amortisation of that spend. The practical minimum for a full fit-out is five years, with an option to renew for three more on agreed terms. Insist on fixing how the rent is recalculated at renewal, whether it tracks Uzbekistan CPI, a fixed uplift, or a market review.

Rent-free periods

This is the period between getting the keys and the first rent payment, during which the fit-out happens. The standard in the Tashkent market is one to three months, depending on the scope of work and your negotiating position. A rent-free period lowers the effective cost of the lease and partly offsets the fit-out spend.

Landlord contribution to the fit-out

Some landlords will fund part of a fit-out in exchange for a longer lease. That can be a fixed sum per square metre, a grey-shell finish, or engineering preparation paid for by the owner. Negotiate this before signing - there is no leverage left afterwards.

Reinstatement at the end of the lease

Check whether the tenant is required to return the space to its original condition on exit. If so, that is a hidden cost at the end of the term that belongs in the financial model. Landlords will often agree to "condition on move-in" instead of "original condition," and the difference between the two matters a great deal.

Negotiating tactics

A landlord makes concessions more readily when a tenant shows they are specific - a finished space plan, a financial model, a clear decision timeline. Vague interest reads as a weak position.

Look at several buildings in parallel and let the landlord know it. Competition between properties is your strongest tool. Put the terms you are asking for in writing - that moves the conversation from promises to proposals.

If a landlord will not move on the headline rate, negotiating the non-cash terms, the rent-free period, the contribution, the right to sublet, the renewal option, often delivers a bigger financial result than a 5-10% discount on rent.

Before you sign - a minimum technical audit

1. Get a floor plan with measurements and calculate the planning efficiency.
2. Request the technical file for the engineering systems, power capacity, ventilation output.
3. Check permission for the layout you want, and whether any load-bearing walls cannot be touched.
4. Confirm how the building operates, security, weekend access, noise restrictions during construction.
5. Check the condition and seal of the facade windows, part of the building's thermal balance.
6. Ask for contacts of current tenants and talk to them about how the building actually runs day to day.