Perth Commercial Leasing Market 2026: Local Business Trends

Perth commercial leasing volumes rose 12 percent in the June quarter compared with the same period last year, according to fresh data released this week by the Property Council of Australia.

The increase arrives as Western Australian businesses absorb lessons from the Telstra outage that disrupted triple-zero calls and regional services across multiple states on 8 July. Perth companies reliant on cloud services and mobile payments reported immediate revenue shortfalls, prompting many to accelerate spending on redundant systems.

Local exposure and sector shifts

Office tenants along St Georges Terrace have led the leasing surge, with several mid-sized mining services firms securing new space in buildings near Elizabeth Quay. Retail operators in the Hay Street Mall precinct are meanwhile negotiating shorter lease terms to retain flexibility amid uncertain foot traffic. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA has scheduled a briefing for members on 22 July to outline insurance options that cover extended network downtime.

Independent analysis from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows Perth’s commercial property vacancy rate stood at 11.8 percent at the end of May, down from 13.4 percent twelve months earlier. Average asking rents for prime CBD space reached $685 per square metre, a five-year high that has pushed some smaller operators toward fringe locations such as Osborne Park.

Practical steps for the months ahead

Businesses should complete a full audit of their telecommunications and power backup arrangements before 31 August, when new state guidelines on critical infrastructure resilience take effect. Firms that have already diversified providers report average downtime reductions of 40 percent during the recent outage period. Local advisers recommend contacting the Small Business Development Corporation for free template checklists that cover vendor contracts and cash-flow modelling under supply disruption scenarios.