East Melbourne is often summarised with a single vacancy rate. For landlords and tenants, what matters is which size bands are actually available this quarter.
Deliveries and give-backs
New stock rarely lands evenly across all floor plates. We often see 800–1,200 sqm segments move before smaller suites, reflecting regional HQ and back-office consolidation patterns.
Give-backs from 2020-era leases can return space in tranches, smoothing net absorption while widening spreads between floors.
Pricing discipline
Longer rent-free periods help velocity but can hurt year-three renewals if not tied to term and review mechanics.
Tenants should model five-year occupancy cost; owners should manage incentives by size band, not building-wide discounts.
Practical steps
Owners: maintain a versioned availability schedule and split expiry management by band.
Tenants: request outgoings history and net effective rent ranges before shortlisting.
Summary
Supply pressure is uneven. Quality buildings with transparent operations remain competitive in mid-size bands without racing to the largest headline incentive.
J C INVESTMENT VENTURE PORTFOLIO PTY. LTD. · Suite 4.04, 689 Burke Road, Camberwell VIC 3124, Australia · info@jcinvestventure.com · 03 8652 1630