Executive Summary

Void periods don’t just mean lost rent. They bring ongoing holding costs such as rates, insurance and service charge exposure. The most effective way to reduce void time is to remove friction from the leasing process and give occupiers the confidence to make a decision sooner.

In this guide, we show how to do that in practice. You’ll learn how to quantify what a void is really costing you, what today’s occupiers expect from hybrid-ready space, and how to use Cat A and targeted Cat A+ landlord Fit-Out choices to make units easier to understand, easier to occupy, and faster to let. We also cover practical ways to improve conversion, including first impressions on viewing, clearer marketing packs, and targeted sustainability and inclusivity measures.

A strong Cat A landlord Fit-Out, combined with flexibility and clear marketing, helps more tenants visualise the space and move faster from viewing to decision. In the right buildings and sub-markets, a targeted Cat A+ approach can go further by providing a ready-to-use starting point without locking tenants into a full Fit-Out. Done well, it can shorten programme risk, improve first impressions, and support quicker leasing.

Key takeaways

• Know what the void is costing you.
  Go beyond lost rent and account for rates, insurance, compliance, and service charge impacts.
• Design for today’s patterns of use.
  Include a practical mix of focus space, meeting rooms, and collaboration with reliable, simple tech.
• Make the space easy to picture.
  Test-fits, clear plans and strong visuals help tenants decide faster.
• Get the base right.
  A solid Cat A landlord Fit-Out removes barriers and keeps options open.
• Use Cat A+ selectively.
  Add only what reduces friction, such as a good tea point, a few focus rooms, and collaboration-ready settings.
• Build in flexibility.
  Simple moves like sensible power placement and adaptable partitions widen the tenant pool.
  
  

A void period is any span during which a commercial office unit is unoccupied and generates no rent, while the owner still incurs holding and compliance costs.

Recent market data shows that extended vacancies are now embedded in the UK office landscape: In early 2025, office vacancy in Central London stood at approximately 10.6%, just over double the 5% rate seen before the pandemic, while vacancy across the UK’s largest regional office markets has almost doubled since 2020 to about 9.8% by Q2 2025, driven largely by older, secondary stock that is proving harder to let.

As void periods in this space lengthen, income falls, carrying costs rise, and investor and prospective tenant confidence weakens.

1. Quantify what void periods cost in practice for commercial properties

Before moving to solutions, the first step is to set out what the vacancy is costing each month, so decisions on timing and specification are grounded.

Lost rent is only part of the picture.

When a unit is empty, you still fund security, statutory compliance, utilities standing charges and more – for space that is not bringing in income. Here are some of the typical cost drivers to keep in mind:

a) Business rates

In England and Wales, most empty commercial properties receive three months of business rates relief, with six months for industrial premises. When that period ends, the full charge typically applies until the space is reoccupied or qualifies for an exemption.

Apply for business rate relief here

b) Insurance

Insurance cover changes once premises are classed as unoccupied. Many policies deem premises unoccupied after about 30 consecutive days. From that point, standard cover is often restricted, and unoccupancy conditions apply, such as more frequent inspections and isolating services where appropriate. The tighter terms reflect higher risks, such as squatters, vandalism, and water leakage in empty buildings. As noted by the RICS Property Journal, owners often require specialist vacant-property coverage to maintain comprehensive protection, which may come with higher premiums and additional risk management requirements.

c) Service Charges

Under the RICS Professional Standard: Service charges in commercial property, costs attributable to void premises and to the owner’s own use are not recoverable through the service charge. In practical terms, occupiers do not fund services for space they do not use, so the owner should plan to absorb the void share during vacancy.

d) Other Costs

Beyond lost rent and headline outgoings, vacant space usually triggers a range of operational checks, preservation work and re-marketing expenses that landlords need to budget for.

• Compliance and safety checks: water hygiene and fire safety inspections, plus any related remedial actions.
• Keeping the space in lettable condition: plant preservation or mothballing, alongside periodic deep cleans.
• Costs to bring the unit back to market: agency and marketing spend, measured surveys, test-fits, and legal and surveyor fees.
• Deal-enabling spend: incentives or landlord’s works where required to unlock a letting.
• Regulatory upgrades before completion: energy performance and compliance works to meet MEES and EPC requirements.

2. Align your offer with how occupiers use offices now

In most sub-markets, occupiers now compare multiple options quickly, and buildings get ruled out early if the space doesn’t “work” for their teams. Aligning your space offer with current expectations improves your chances of making shortlists and reduces the time a unit sits on the market.

In practice, that means designing and presenting space around how teams actually work. Prospective tenants want a day that feels productive from the moment they arrive: settings for quiet concentration, rooms that handle confidential conversations, and collaboration areas that are easy to use with reliable tech. Just as importantly, they look for layouts that can evolve during the lease, rather than a fixed plan that locks them in.

For landlords, the starting point is evidence. A short, structured review will tell you what’s driving shortlists locally and where your building needs to respond.

• Read the market: who is active in your sub-market, what sizes/specs they are taking, and how they are using space day to day.
• Talk to agents: ask local agents what is driving shortlists and what is ruling buildings out.
• Test-fit your floorplate: run quick test-fits for the sectors you want to attract and check the mix of enclosed rooms, team zones and amenities your floors can support
• Check density and comfort: sense-check density against current benchmarks so circulation and acoustics work in practice, not just on paper.
• Factor in compliance: note any requirements that affect let-ability, for example, energy performance, accessibility and building performance, as these shape both perception and programme.

Get in touch with our team to sense-check your floorplate with a quick test-fit.

2.1 Treat hybrid working as the default

Hybrid working is now the default assumption for many occupiers. ONS reports that about 28% of working adults were hybrid in autumn 2024, with access concentrated in professional and higher-paid roles. That pattern continued into 2025, which meant most occupiers were planning for teams who split time between the office and elsewhere. Now in 2026, major occupier surveys point to hybrid as the baseline with a marked shift toward adaptive, flexible offices.

CBRE’s research highlights hybrid expansion as a primary driver of portfolio decisions, and BCO’s 2025 guidance bakes hybrid patterns into office design.

The practical implication is a stronger balance of quiet focus space, meeting rooms and collaboration zones – so that tenants can picture productive use more easily.

Design implications for landlords:

• Provide a range of enclosed, quiet meeting spaces with reliable acoustics.
• Include tech-ready collaboration areas that are simple and intuitive for teams to use.
• Plan workspace so that density, circulation and acoustics feel comfortable in everyday use.

Sector nuances to allow for:

• Legal and professional services: higher demand for enclosed rooms for confidential work and client meetings.
• Tech teams: preference for flexible project areas and robust digital infrastructure.
• Creative businesses: need for adaptable studio-style space and informal collaboration settings.

Market reads from JLL, Knight Frank and CBRE all point to experience, flexibility and digital capability as active decision factors.

3. Use data to shape readiness

Now you know what occupiers expect, validate it against your building.

Quick test-fit layouts for our target occupier sectors, plus a simple view of how space is typically used, and feedback from local agents, will help fine-tune the mix of enclosed rooms, touchdown space, and tech upgrades.

JLL and CBRE’s current occupier research shows companies are tuning portfolios to improve utilisation and support collaboration, which you can reflect directly in your Cat A and Cat A+ specifications.

4. Prepare workspaces for immediate occupancy

Prospective tenants make decisions sooner when they can picture working there from day one.

Fully fitted or lightly furnished “ready to work” spaces remove uncertainty, shorten the move-in programme and reduce the number of steps between viewing and occupation. UK market commentary from agents and advisers consistently indicates stronger enquiry and faster leasing for fitted options compared with conventional Cat A – particularly where units are positioned as plug-and-play space for smaller teams.

Savills’ Q3 2025 Central London data shows occupiers are overwhelmingly choosing best-in-class space: 70% of space taken up year-to-date has been in recently upgraded or modernised buildings, and 61% has been in BREEAM-rated Excellent or Outstanding offices.

4.1  Choosing the right spec: Cat A vs Cat A+ landlord Fit-Out approach

Step 4.2 Keep layouts flexible

Design a Cat A base so that the same floor can suit different headcounts and workstyles. Select demountable or easily altered partitions for smaller rooms, position power and data where people actually sit.

If you are targeting a mix of sectors, prepare two or three quick test-fits and include them in the marketing pack. This helps agents show options and shortens the journey from enquiry to heads of terms.

CBRE’s occupier research signals sustained demand for smaller, high-quality footprints. For landlords, this strengthens the case for flexible subdivision and Cat A+ specified suites as a practical way to widen the pool of prospective occupiers.

‘As a designer, I see how the way a space is put together can make a real difference for commercial landlords trying to reduce the time a property sits empty. The key is to create spaces that are flexible, simple and ready for different types of tenants. Open layouts, folding partitions and areas that can serve several purposes make it easy to adapt the space for offices. Choosing durable materials, neutral colours and having the right technology in place means the property appeals to more people and needs less work between tenants, helping it get rented faster.’ – Jack Greener, Lead Designer at AxisHouse

5. Value-engineer the specification without overspending

With your Cat A/Cat A+ approach set, the next step is to value-engineer the specification, so it presents well, costs less to run, and appeals to a wider range of occupiers. Focus on practical sustainability measures and inclusive design choices that reduce re-work later and prevents prospects being ruled out at first viewing.

5.1 Build sustainability into the spec

Build sustainability into the Cat A specification from the outset so you cut carbon and waste without adding unnecessary cost. A whole-life view helps you balance impact against price, and spot where reuse or simple details still present well. Practical choices in lighting, metering and services also make the space cheaper to run.

Concentrate on three key areas:

Apply recognised guidance

• Use frameworks such as UKGBC’s office retrofit guidance and the updated RICS Whole Life Carbon Assessment standard.
• Brief your team to include Fit-Out scope in assessments, not just base build.

Compare embodied carbon as well as cost

• Assess floor finishes, partitions and other elements on embodied carbon alongside price – consider an EPD comparison tool (EC3, for example) to quantify embodied carbon alongside cost.
•  Identify where existing elements can be reused, or where simpler, good quality finishes still achieve a strong presentation.

Bake in operational efficiency

• Specify efficient lighting with sensible zoning, so areas can be dimmed or switched off when not in use.
• Provide clear metering and sub-metering so tenants can understand and manage energy use.
• Keep services accessible and maintainable to reduce waste and disruption over the life of the lease.

5.2 Design for inclusivity and accessibility

An inclusive Cat A landlord Fit-Out widens appeal, reduces later rework and helps the space feel usable from day one. Getting core accessibility and neuro-inclusive elements right means more teams can work effectively in the space, which supports lettability and gives you positive, real-world stories for marketing packs.

a) Meet core access requirements

• Ensure step-free access from arrival through to the floor.
• Provide compliant WCs and appropriate provision of accessible facilities.
• Use clear wayfinding so routes and key facilities are easy to understand at a glance.

b) Support visual and cognitive accessibility

• Build in suitable visual contrast between walls, floors, doors and key features.
• Avoid overly busy finishes that can make navigation or concentration harder.

c) Include quiet and low-stimulus options

• Provide a small number of quiet rooms or low-stimulus settings that support focus and decompression.
• Make sure these spaces are easy to find and feel as “normal” and usable as other rooms.

d) Link inclusivity to lettability

• Show how inclusive features help more teams work effectively in the space.
• Reflect these points clearly in marketing packs and tours, so agents can confidently tell that story.

‘It is also important to consider neurodiversity and accessibility when designing commercial spaces. By creating environments that work for all types of people, including those who may be sensitive to noise, lighting or visual clutter, a property becomes welcoming to a wider range of tenants and staff. Small updates like better lighting, a refreshed entrance, pre-installed fixtures, quiet zones or adaptable layouts can make a space feel ready to move into even before it becomes available.’  – Jack Greener, Lead Designer at AxisHouse

6. Improve viewing conversion

Once the space is configured and specified, the next step is to improve conversion at the point of viewing. Focus on the elements that tenants notice immediately and that make for smooth day-to-day use.

Small details can make the difference between “this could work” and “we can move quickly”.

Prioritise the essentials:

• Connectivity and AV: Provide dependable Wi-Fi cabling routes and simple AV that works without a technician.
• Lighting: Use sensible zoning and intuitive controls that don’t confuse users.
• Acoustics: Treat acoustics as a first-order item in open areas and enclosed rooms, so calls and hybrid meetings feel natural.
• Comfort: Choose ergonomic furniture with basic adjustability so people can work comfortably.
• Visual clarity: Make sure these choices photograph well and are easy to understand in tours, so prospects can visualise how the space supports a productive day.

These choices show well in photographs and virtual tours, and they help convert viewings because they match how teams work day to day.

7. Present clearly and start marketing early

With the space viewing-ready, the final step is to present it clearly and start marketing early.

List with accurate plans, measured areas and a compact set of photos and tours that show how the floor works. If a Cat A landlord Fit-Out is in works, publish the programme and show progress so agents can keep interest warm. Be explicit about what is included in the Fit-Out and what can be adjusted.

Where you can evidence energy and operational performance, include a short note or rating so tenants can budget with confidence. With office development at a low and retrofit in focus, well-specified, refurbished space can capture demand sooner in many markets.

‘3D Renders can help landlords show the potential of the property and attract interest quickly. By designing spaces that are practical, inclusive and visually appealing, designers can play a direct role in keeping properties occupied and reducing the cost and hassle of long empty periods.’ – Jack Greener, Lead Designer at AxisHouse

Proof in practice: Kerridge Properties

AxisHouse recently supported Kerridge Properties in transforming a vacant, poor-condition Cat A floor into a tenant-ready Cat A+ suite.

The 6,000 sq ft space was delivered within a seven-week programme using a clear, zoned plan that included:

• a meet-and-greet area
• open-plan desking near natural light
• a range of meeting rooms
• breakout with a tea point

A neutral palette and glazed partitions carry light through the scheme so that different brands can make it their own, while the upgraded M&E, partitions, flooring, and ceiling works provide a solid landlord finish.

The result was a market-ready Cat A+ suite that was let within a few months of work completion, demonstrating the impact of a targeted upgrade on leasing velocity.

8. Partner with commercial Fit-Out specialists

Delivery certainty is a void-reduction strategy in itself.

The right partner shortens timelines, reduces late changes, and makes specification choices that photograph well, wear well, and feel credible to occupiers during viewings. An experienced team will structure a Cat A landlord Fit-Out so partitions and rooms can be added without rework, and value-engineer finishes that present strongly.

The best partners should provide you with VR walk-throughs and 360° visuals, to help prospects picture themselves in the space, while managing compliance so handover is clean.

Together these steps protects programme, reduce change and make the route to occupation easier to trust.

AxisHouse delivers integrated Cat A, Cat A+ and Cat B programmes for landlords, backed by our  Fit-Out Formula™ for market-ready design, transparent cost reporting and programme certainty, with sustainability and compliance baked in, so your project is easier to manage and promote.

 If you want a partner who can reduce risk whilst accelerating your timelines, get in touch with a member of our team and set up a complimentary meeting today.

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