[Last updated April 2023] A guide to serviced offices and office space for rent in Southampton as well as general information that may be useful if you are thinking of renting office space in Southampton.
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History & Geography
One of the UK’s largest ports, Southampton is located in southern England at the northern tip of Southampton Water, an estuary formed by the convergence of the Test and Itchen Rivers. The city also lies close to the southern edge of New Forest, the largest area of pastureland, heathland and forest in southern England. As with many cities in England, the first permanent settlement on the site was a Roman fortress called Clausentum. Clausentum was eventually abandoned in the fifth century after the departure of the Romans from Britain and was replaced with an Anglo-Saxon settlement in what is now the St Marys area of Southampton. By the 10th century, the settlement had been fortified against Viking raids and the beginnings of the city were emerging. Following the Norman conquest of England, Southampton grew significantly in size and importance, becoming the main port of transit between England and Normandy. During the Middle Ages, the city grew ever larger and shipbuilding became a major industry, with Southampton being the site of the construction of Henry V’s famous flagship, HMS Grace Dieu. Subsequently, Southampton became the main point of embarkation for all of England’s wars over the next few centuries, including the 18th-century wars against France, the Crimean War, the Boer War and WWI. The port was also the point of departure for the Mayflower and the RMS Titanic. During the 19th century, Southampton expanded even more, with the port facilities rebuilt and the Southampton Docks Company founded. During WWII, the city suffered extensive bombing by the Luftwaffe because the famous fighter, the Spitfire, was designed and built in the city. Much of Southampton was destroyed and today there are few areas with pre-war architecture. The city has been extensively redeveloped, however, and, today, is one of the busiest ports in England and a thriving city in its own right.
Economy
Southampton has a diverse and healthy economy which has evolved from being largely reliant on its port to many other industries. Today, Southampton Port is still the largest freight port on the channel and the fourth-largest UK port by tonnage. Unlike Liverpool and London, the port is still a major employer in the city and Southampton has kept much of its inner-city industry. Southampton is also a major cruise ship centre, functioning as the home port for many of the world’s largest cruise liners. The port is home to the Cunard Line as well as the Carnival Line. Southampton was also the launch port of Cunard’s most recently built cruise liner Queen Victoria. The city is also home to the aircraft and the car industry as well as electrical engineering products and petrochemicals. Some of the biggest employers in the city are Southampton Airport, Ford Transit factory, Ordnance Survey, the BBC and the NHS. Southampton is also a major retail centre, with the WestQuay Shopping Centre being one of the largest in the country. A survey found Southampton to be one of the best places in the country for those aged 18 to 30 to live due to the city’s low cost of living and cheap transport.
Culture & Tourism
Southampton is not one of the tourist hotspots of England, but the city does see a fair amount of visitors and has a vibrant culture all its own. Despite the damage done during WWII, Southampton boasts the longest surviving stretch of medieval walls in England. It also has several historically-themed museums set in architecturally significant buildings, such as the Tudor House and Medieval Merchants House. Additionally, the Solent Sky Museum shows the history of aviation in the area. The city also has several events every year which attract visitors, the primary one being the Southampton Boat Show, held in September every year. Southampton also has a lively theatre scene, with the largest venue being the Mayflower Theatre, which routinely hosts West End shows. Also, due to its high student population and the plethora of bars and clubs, Southampton has a thriving nightlife and is known as being one of the best nights out in the country.
Transport
Southampton has excellent transport links around the country and an efficient transport system in the city itself. The city is served by Southampton Central railway station which runs services to Portsmouth, Cardiff, Salisbury, Weymouth, Dorchester, Poole and Bournemouth as well as more local towns. Southampton Airport is located in the town of Eastleigh, slightly north of the city, and has flights to Europe and the rest of the UK. The airport is connected to the city by its train station Southampton Airport station. Most of the local public transport in Southampton is provided by the city’s extensive bus networks. The tram system that was in place in the early part of the century has long been scrapped.
Office space to rent in Southampton
In 2012, the total amount of office space available in Southampton was 697,185 square feet, of which approximately 25 per cent was Grade A space. Prime rents currently stood at £18 per square foot, which was a drop from 2010 and 2011. This was mostly due to the fairly low amount of demand, a situation which was not expected to change in the near future. The vacancy rate in the city currently stood at 11 per cent, unchanged from 2010.
In 2012, on a typical lease of ten years, 12 to 24 months rent free was the average incentive rate.
10 years on, take-up had recovered quickly to pre-pandemic levels, in 2021 and 2022.
In 2023, there is a lack of Grade A office space and so landlords are increasingly refurbishing properties to meet the demand. Examples of these schemes include Charlotte Place in Southampton, Frobisher House at Nelson Gate, Solent Business Park and Twenty3 Brunswick Place. The latter of which is owned by Fidelity International which transformed the 65,000 square foot building into the most energy-efficient office building in Southampton achieving BREEAM Excellent accreditation.
At the beginning of 2022, global engineering, architecture and consultancy company, Ramboll, were one of the building’s first tenants following the refurbishment and signed a 10-year lease at the property.
Occupiers are increasingly demanding ready-to-use plug-and-play office space that doesn’t require capital expenditure at the outset of the lease and landlords in Southampton are satisfying demand with an increasing number of products coming to the market.
Prime office rents in Southampton city centre are quoted at £28 per square foot and £21 per square foot for out-of-town locations.
There are also 9 flexible space providers in Southampton that deliver a number of flexible office and workspace solutions such as private serviced offices, managed office suites and coworking membership plans.
These solutions offer an alternative to renting office space on a traditional lease with short-term contracts and all-inclusive pricing.
Profiles of these operators can be seen here.
We carry out a free office space search and our advisory and acquisition services are also free, always. Our Southampton office space brokers and agents are globally regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) ensuring the highest standards of commercial property advice and service at all times. We look forward to helping you find the best office space for rent for your business.
The Office Providers are Regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)