Tag Archives: Industrial Rental

But Q3 drop is smaller than Q2’s; gap with office rentals narrows

PRIVATE industrial property rents fell for the fourth consecutive quarter in the three months ended September, although the pace of declines eased.

Data from DTZ Research shows that the average gross monthly rental value for first-storey private conventional industrial space fell 2.4 per cent to $2 per square foot in Q3 from $2.05 psf in Q2.

The drop was smaller than the 6.8 per cent slide seen in Q2. Similarly, the average rent for upper-storey space slipped 5.9 per cent to $1.60 psf in the latest quarter, smaller than Q2’s 8.1 per cent.

DTZ noted that the rental slide for high-tech industrial properties, which include business park and science park space, also moderated in the third quarter. After a 12.8 per cent drop in Q2, the average monthly rent for such space declined 5.9 per cent to $3.20 psf in Q3.

From their peak in Q3 last year, average monthly rents of first-storey and upper-storey private conventional industrial space have slipped 14.9 per cent and 22 per cent respectively. The average high-tech industrial rental value has lost 28.9 per cent over the same period. Continue reading →

Sales of industrial space are at their lowest since 2000, while rents slide, but the worst may be over, says DOMINIC PETERS

WHILE most economic indicators point to an improvement, the industrial property market remains depressed today as the weak business environment is likely to persist, with global demand still subdued. The first eight months of the year saw 436 industrial sale transactions, a drop of more than 45 per cent from the corresponding period last year, according to caveats lodged. This is the lowest volume since 2000.

Weak demand for industrial space continues to weigh on industrial rents and prices this year. The average monthly rents of Savills’ basket of prime flatted factories and warehouses in central Singapore slid lower in Q3. Flatted factories saw rents slip to S$1.35 – S$1.65 per sq ft, from $1.70 – $2.00 psf in Q4 2008. Warehouses saw a slide from $1.70 – $2.10 psf at the end of 2008, to S$1.25 – S$1.55 psf.

High-tech industrial rents are also experiencing downward pressure as relocation of office users to high-tech industrial space slows down. Office users are now less inclined to relocate to high-tech industrial space as asking office rents in the CBD have fallen significantly and office landlords keen to retain their existing tenants are offering extras like rental concessions and fitting out costs. Consequently, average monthly high-tech rents fell from a high of S$2.50 – S$3.80 psf in 2008 to S$2.40 – S$3.20 psf recently. For instance, monthly asking rents of high-tech industrial space in city-fringe areas like Frontech Centre dipped from about S$4 psf in Q1 to S$3.60 per sq ft in August. Continue reading →