Looking for a depot, a workshop, offices or commercial premises to rent in Lausanne or the canton of Vaud, and want to know whether the advertised rent is fair? This article brings together 2026 prices per m² by type of space and by area, explains how to read a Swiss listing and gives concrete budget examples, including service charges.
The essentials in 30 seconds
In the canton of Vaud, the median asking rent in May 2026 was CHF 121/m²/year for storage, CHF 193 for industrial space, CHF 250 for offices and CHF 300 for retail. In western Lausanne, our October 2026 survey shows around CHF 140 for a depot, CHF 230 for a workshop and CHF 270 for offices. Service charges and, where applicable, VAT come on top.
By the MixCity team · Updated 29 October 2026 · Indicative prices from listings (asking rents, not signed rents).
Contents
- How to read a rental price in Switzerland
- Median prices by type of premises in the canton of Vaud
- Prices in western Lausanne: our October 2026 survey
- Lausanne city centre or western Lausanne: how big is the price gap?
- What drives the price per m²
- Service charges, VAT and other costs on top of the rent
- How much do 100, 300 or 1,000 m² cost?
- The 2026 market: a context more favourable to tenants
- How to estimate the right rent in 5 steps
- Renting space at MixCity, Renens
- Frequently asked questions about commercial rents
How to read a rental price in Switzerland
In Switzerland, the rent for business premises is almost always expressed in Swiss francs per square metre per year (CHF/m²/year), excluding service charges. This is an important difference from countries where rents are usually quoted per month. To get the monthly rent, multiply the floor area by the price per m², then divide by 12.
Example: a 200 m² depot advertised at CHF 150/m²/year costs 200 × 150 = CHF 30,000 per year, or CHF 2,500 per month, excluding charges.
| Advertised price (CHF/m²/year) | Monthly equivalent (CHF/m²/month) | Monthly rent for 100 m² |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 8.33 | CHF 833 |
| 150 | 12.50 | CHF 1,250 |
| 200 | 16.67 | CHF 1,667 |
| 250 | 20.83 | CHF 2,083 |
| 300 | 25.00 | CHF 2,500 |
| 400 | 33.33 | CHF 3,333 |
Median prices by type of premises in the canton of Vaud
The commercial real estate barometer for French-speaking Switzerland published by maison.work in May 2026 analyses more than 3,000 active listings. For the canton of Vaud, it gives the following median rents, excluding charges.
| Type of premises (canton of Vaud) | Listings analysed | Median rent | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storage (depots, warehouses) | 167 | CHF 121/m²/year | CHF 64 to 248/m²/year |
| Industrial space and workshops | 125 | CHF 193/m²/year | CHF 113 to 340/m²/year |
| Commercial space | 313 | CHF 190/m²/year | CHF 100 to 379/m²/year |
| Offices | 642 | CHF 250/m²/year | CHF 155 to 410/m²/year |
| Hospitality and food service | 19 | CHF 260/m²/year | CHF 218 to 524/m²/year |
| Retail (shopfronts) | 104 | CHF 300/m²/year | CHF 154 to 550/m²/year |
By comparison, Geneva is markedly more expensive: CHF 340/m²/year for offices and CHF 180/m²/year for storage, according to the same source. The barometer does not publish separate figures for the city of Lausanne. In addition, 22% of office listings in Vaud were “price on request” and are therefore not counted.
Prices in western Lausanne: our October 2026 survey
To refine these cantonal averages, on 29 October 2026 we surveyed the active listings in the western Lausanne district (Renens, Crissier, Bussigny, Ecublens, Prilly, Saint-Sulpice…) on immoscout24, homegate and home.ch. “Price on request” listings and MixCity’s own listings are excluded.
| Type of premises (western Lausanne) | Listings surveyed | Median rent | Observed range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depots and storage space | 18 | CHF 140/m²/year | CHF 81 to 215/m²/year |
| Workshops, mixed-use and logistics space | 11 | CHF 230/m²/year | CHF 185 to 271/m²/year |
| Offices | 11 | CHF 270/m²/year | CHF 170 to 300/m²/year |
| Commercial premises (Crissier) | 9 | CHF 280/m²/year | CHF 190 to 350/m²/year |
This survey confirms the cantonal orders of magnitude, with two nuances. First, depots in western Lausanne rent slightly above the Vaud median, because the area is close to Lausanne and the A1 motorway. Second, small spaces are more expensive per m²: a 20 m² depot near the universities was advertised at around CHF 220/m²/year, compared with CHF 130 to 150 for halls of 900 to 1,700 m².
Lausanne city centre or western Lausanne: how big is the price gap?
In Lausanne city centre, rents are significantly higher, especially for ready-to-use offices. In the Centre-Ville listings surveyed on 29 October 2026, conventional offices were offered at around CHF 390/m²/year (plus CHF 34 in charges), a small shopfront at around CHF 260/m²/year, and business centres with services included exceeded the equivalent of CHF 1,400/m²/year.
| Criterion | Lausanne city centre | Western Lausanne |
|---|---|---|
| Offices | Often CHF 300 to 450/m²/year | Around CHF 230 to 300/m²/year |
| Depots and storage | Rare, often in basements | Around CHF 120 to 180/m²/year |
| Truck access and loading docks | Limited | Common (business zones) |
| Parking | Scarce and expensive | Easier to obtain |
| Access | Lausanne station, metro | A1, Renens and Prilly-Malley stations, BRT |
For a company that needs storage, a workshop or delivery access, western Lausanne therefore often offers better value for space, just minutes from Lausanne. Our guide to renting business premises near Lausanne compares the municipalities in the area. Since August 2026, the area has also been served by the western Lausanne BRT line.
What drives the price per m²
For the same type of premises, several criteria explain the price differences between two listings:
- Location and access: proximity to the motorway, stations and public transport, visibility from the road.
- Floor level: a ground floor accessible by truck rents for more than a basement or an upper floor without a goods lift.
- Technical features: ceiling height, floor load, loading docks, electrical capacity.
- Condition of the premises: a shell space costs less per m² but requires a fit-out budget.
- Size: large spaces are generally cheaper per m² than small ones.
- Lease terms: duration, rent-free months, landlord contribution to works or graduated rent.
To check these criteria during a visit, use our checklist of 10 technical criteria for business premises or, for storage, our guide to renting a depot or warehouse.
Service charges, VAT and other costs on top of the rent
The advertised price per m² normally corresponds to the net rent. Several items come on top:
- Service charges: heating, water, electricity for common areas, caretaking. They are only payable if provided for in the lease (art. 257a CO). In the listings surveyed, they ranged for example from CHF 34 to 50/m²/year.
- VAT: letting premises is in principle exempt, but the landlord may opt to tax the rent (art. 22 VAT Act). VAT of 8.1% is then added to the rent and charges. Learn more about VAT on commercial rent.
- Parking spaces: they are often rented separately, per space.
- Rent deposit: for commercial premises, the amount is not capped by law and is negotiable (see our commercial lease guide).
- Fit-out and relocation: partitions, electrics, shelving, signage, moving equipment.
How much do 100, 300 or 1,000 m² cost?
Here is the annual and monthly net rent for premises in western Lausanne, calculated with the median rents from our October 2026 survey. Add service charges (for example CHF 40/m²/year, i.e. CHF 12,000 per year for 300 m²) and, where applicable, VAT.
| Type of premises (median rent) | 100 m² | 300 m² | 1,000 m² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depot (CHF 140/m²/year) | CHF 14,000/year, i.e. CHF 1,167/month | CHF 42,000/year, i.e. CHF 3,500/month | CHF 140,000/year, i.e. CHF 11,667/month |
| Workshop or mixed-use space (CHF 230/m²/year) | CHF 23,000/year, i.e. CHF 1,917/month | CHF 69,000/year, i.e. CHF 5,750/month | CHF 230,000/year, i.e. CHF 19,167/month |
| Offices (CHF 270/m²/year) | CHF 27,000/year, i.e. CHF 2,250/month | CHF 81,000/year, i.e. CHF 6,750/month | CHF 270,000/year, i.e. CHF 22,500/month |
The 2026 market: a context more favourable to tenants
According to Statistique Vaud, the canton had 374,007 m² of vacant industrial and commercial space on 1 June 2026, compared with 285,288 m² a year earlier, an increase of around 31%. With more space available, tenants have more room to negotiate, in particular on:
- rent-free months at the start of the lease;
- the landlord’s contribution to fit-out works;
- a graduated rent, lower in the first years;
- a renewal option or a right of first refusal on neighbouring spaces.
For rent that is neither indexed nor graduated, the reference interest rate remains a benchmark: it has stood at 1.25% since September 2026, and its next publication is scheduled for 1 December 2026. The adjustment rules and clauses to negotiate are detailed in our guide to commercial leases in Switzerland.
How to estimate the right rent in 5 steps
- Define your needs: usable floor area, type of activity, ceiling height, truck access, number of parking spaces.
- Choose the area: city centre, inner ring such as western Lausanne, or a more distant industrial zone.
- Compare per m²: convert each listing into CHF/m²/year excluding charges and compare it with the medians above.
- Calculate the total cost: rent, charges, any VAT, parking, fit-out and relocation.
- Negotiate: rent-free months, contribution to works, lease duration and options, using the available supply as leverage.
Renting space at MixCity, Renens
MixCity, Avenue des Baumettes 21 in Renens, offers flexible spaces from 300 to 5,700 m² for offices, workshops, production, logistics, storage or retail, with loading docks and 3- and 4-tonne goods lifts, 5 minutes from the A1 motorway and served by the BRT line. Explore the spaces and their features, then request a callback to find out the rents of the available spaces.
Frequently asked questions about commercial rents
In the canton of Vaud, the median asking rent in May 2026 was CHF 190/m²/year for commercial space and CHF 300/m²/year for retail, excluding charges (maison.work). In Lausanne city centre, rents often exceed CHF 300/m²/year, and conventional offices rent for around CHF 390/m²/year.
The median rent for storage in the canton of Vaud was CHF 121/m²/year in May 2026. In western Lausanne, our October 2026 survey shows a median of around CHF 140/m²/year. A 300 m² depot therefore costs around CHF 42,000 per year, or CHF 3,500 per month, excluding charges.
Multiply the floor area by the price per m² and divide by 12. For example, 200 m² at CHF 150/m²/year gives CHF 30,000 per year, or CHF 2,500 per month, excluding charges.
Usually not: the advertised price per m² is the net rent. Service charges are only payable if provided for in the lease (art. 257a CO). Always ask for their amount and the latest statement before comparing two offers.
In principle no, because letting real estate is exempt. The landlord may, however, opt to tax the rent (art. 22 VAT Act). VAT of 8.1% is then added to the rent and charges, and a VAT-registered tenant can generally recover it as input tax.
The business zones of western Lausanne offer more large spaces, truck access and parking, whereas space in Lausanne city centre is scarce and in high demand. For a depot, a workshop or offices, rents there are often lower, just minutes from Lausanne and the A1.
Yes. Vacant industrial and commercial space increased by around 31% in the canton of Vaud between 2025 and 2026 (Statistique Vaud). Tenants can negotiate, for example, rent-free months, a contribution to works or a graduated rent.
Sources
- maison.work – Commercial real estate barometer for French-speaking Switzerland, May 2026
- Statistique Vaud – Vacant dwellings and vacant industrial and commercial space on 1 June 2026 (press release of 14 July 2026, in French)
- immoscout24 – Offices, commercial and industrial space for rent in western Lausanne
- homegate – Commercial and industrial space for rent in Crissier
- home.ch – Depots for rent in western Lausanne
- immoscout24 – Commercial space for rent, Lausanne Centre-Ville
- Swiss Federal Tax Administration – VAT rates in Switzerland
- Swiss Confederation – Reference interest rate remains at 1.25% (in French)
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