Last updated: October 2026Commercial lease statisticsCommercial Lease Statistics 2026
The numbers a small-business tenant should know before signing: how long businesses actually last compared with the lease and guarantee they sign, where vacancy and rents stand by property type, how long leases run, and what an attorney costs.
Every figure links to its published source. Sources checked October 21, 2026.
34.7%
of new US business locations are still open 10 years later. A 10-year lease with a personal guarantee outlasts most of the businesses that sign one.
How long businesses last, against the lease they sign
Private-sector business locations, by how long they survive. A personal guarantee usually covers the whole lease term, so if the business closes in year 3 of a 10-year lease, the guarantor can owe the remaining rent (minus what the landlord collects by re-letting the space).
77.9%
of new business locations are still open after 1 year
Opened March 2024, counted March 2025
51.4%
are still open after 5 years
Opened March 2020, counted March 2025
34.7%
are still open after 10 years
Opened March 2015, counted March 2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, Table 7 (establishment survival, March 2025)
Vacancy and asking rents, Q3 2026
National averages from one source, so the three sectors are measured the same way. Vacancy is a rough guide to leverage: at nearly 20% office vacancy, landlords compete for tenants; at under 6% retail vacancy, they mostly don’t.
| Sector | Vacancy | Avg. asking rent |
|---|
| Office | 19.8% | $38.65/sq ft Gross (full service), per year |
| Retail (shopping centers) | 5.9% | $25.82/sq ft Per year; the report doesn’t say gross or net |
| Industrial | 6.8% | $10.40/sq ft NNN, per year: taxes, insurance and CAM are extra |
Source: Cushman & Wakefield, U.S. Office MarketBeat, Q3 2026Source: Cushman & Wakefield, U.S. Retail MarketBeat, Q3 2026Source: Cushman & Wakefield, U.S. Industrial MarketBeat, Q3 2026
How long leases run
77 mo
Average US office lease term for new leases (66 months for renewals)
12 months through Q3 2026. The data leans toward large gateway markets; Avison Young notes Class B and C terms run about 12 months shorter. Either way, it is about six years of obligations, often personally guaranteed.
Source: Avison Young, U.S. Office Market Report, Q3 2026What a lease review costs
How small businesses feel about occupancy costs
Before you signKnow what your lease could cost you, clause by clause
Upload your lease and get each problem clause with the dollars at stake, the section and page it’s on, and replacement language to send your landlord. $75, usually in about 3 minutes.
Review my lease — $75 About these numbers
Every figure comes from the published source linked under it, checked on October 21, 2026. Where sources measure the same thing differently (CBRE and Cushman & Wakefield report different office vacancy rates, for example), we use one source per table so the numbers are comparable. LeaseLens does not yet publish statistics from its own reviews; when the number of leases is large enough to be meaningful, we will, with the sample size stated.
Frequently asked questions
How many small businesses outlast a 10-year lease?
About a third. Of business locations that opened in March 2015, 34.7% were still open in March 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. About half (51.4%) of those opened in March 2020 were open five years later. That is why the length of a personal guarantee matters as much as the rent.
What is the commercial vacancy rate in 2026?
In Q3 2026, Cushman & Wakefield reported US vacancy of 19.8% for office, 5.9% for shopping-center retail and 6.8% for industrial. High office vacancy gives office tenants more room to negotiate; retail space is much tighter.
How long is a typical commercial lease?
Avison Young reports average US office lease terms of 77 months for new leases and 66 months for renewals in the 12 months through Q3 2026. Those figures lean toward large gateway markets; smaller Class B and C deals average about a year shorter.
How much does a commercial real estate attorney charge per hour?
Real estate lawyers averaged $377 an hour in the US in 2025, and $465 in California, based on billing data from Clio. At 3 to 5 hours for a lease review, that is roughly $1,100 to $1,900.
Does LeaseLens publish statistics from the leases it reviews?
Not yet. We will publish figures from our own reviews once the number of leases is large enough to be meaningful, with the sample size stated. Every number on this page comes from the public source linked under it.
Cite this page: LeaseLens. “Commercial Lease Statistics 2026.” October 2026, leaselens.org/commercial-lease-statistics. Please cite the original sources for individual figures.