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The Office Space Tour Checklist Every Tenant Needs

An interactive checklist to bring on every office space tour — from parking ratios and lease timelines to what to check room by room.

By TenantBase

Office Space Tour Checklist — Blog Header
An interactive checklist to bring on every office space tour — parking ratios, lease timelines, and what to check room by room.

Touring office space without a set of criteria means every property looks a little different, and comparisons get harder with each new tour. This checklist gives you a consistent standard to evaluate against — so you can eliminate poor fits quickly and compare the properties that actually matter on an apples-to-apples basis.

Quick Answer

Before you tour: define your criteria (location, layout, budget, lease term) so you can immediately rule out poor fits. During the tour: bring decision-makers and a space plan, and check technical infrastructure, parking, and building condition room by room. Use the interactive checklist below to track everything in one place.

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Before You Tour

Eliminate properties that already don't fit before you tour them. A property that doesn't meet your core needs today won't meet them tomorrow — touring it anyway just costs you time you could spend evaluating real contenders.

Since you'll likely be comparing several spaces, establish your criteria in advance so you can evaluate every property against the same standard. That's what turns a series of individually memorable tours into a real, comparable shortlist.

Core Criteria for Any Office Search

Every organization has unique requirements, but these apply to nearly every tenant.

Geographic location: Factor in employee commute times and proximity to public transit. Surrounding restaurants, entertainment, and neighborhood character can matter for recruiting too.
Office type: Traditional, industrial, medical, or another specialized use.
Layout: Sufficient workspace, common areas, private offices, and conference rooms for training, client meetings, and team calls.
Amenities: Kitchen and break rooms, fitness space, and nearby food or convenience options are commonly requested amenities.
Accessibility: Confirm the location within the building serves your needs — some organizations require ground-floor or near-elevator access.
Parking: Should cover both employees and visiting clients, with room for future growth. A common industry guideline is 3–4 spaces per 1,000 SF of office space, though this varies by market.1
Technical needs: Internet connectivity, IT infrastructure, and phone system framework, including existing cabling.
Security: On-site security presence and building access controls.

A few timeline and budget items round out the list:

Timeline for move-in: Your current lease end date and target move-in date affect how much you can customize a new space. A tighter timeline narrows your realistic options.
Price: Should reflect the all-inclusive monthly cost — parking, membership fees, furniture, and other add-ons — not just the quoted base rent.
Lease term: Consider your projected growth and whether you're likely to outgrow the space before your term ends.
Financials: Be ready to provide P&L statements, tax returns, and proof of available cash for security deposits and prepaid rent — most landlords require these before offering a lease.
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Interactive Tool Free
The Office Space Tour Checklist

Check items off as you go. Your progress is tracked at the top — use it on every tour, one property at a time.

 
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What to Bring
Layout & Condition
Access & Security
Infrastructure
Print or save as a PDF to bring on your next tour.

Skip the Guesswork on Your Next Tour

A local tenant rep can pre-screen listings against your criteria before you ever schedule a tour — so every property you see is a real contender.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good parking ratio for office space?
A common industry guideline is roughly 3 to 4 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of office space, though this varies by market, building type, and local zoning requirements.1 Confirm the actual ratio for a specific property rather than assuming it meets your needs.
Who should come with me on an office space tour?
Bring your organization's key decision-makers, along with a space plan and a camera or phone to document each property. Having decision-makers present during the tour, rather than relying on secondhand descriptions, speeds up your evaluation process significantly.
What should I check about a building's technical infrastructure?
Confirm internet connectivity options and providers, existing IT and cabling infrastructure, phone system framework, the number and placement of electrical outlets, and thermostat control zones. Retrofitting technical infrastructure after move-in is far more expensive than confirming it during the tour.
How many properties should I tour before making a decision?
There's no fixed number, but establishing your criteria before you start touring lets you eliminate poor fits immediately rather than touring properties that were never going to work. A tenant rep broker can pre-screen listings against your requirements so every tour is a real contender.
Reference

1. Parking ratio guideline of approximately 3–4 spaces per 1,000 SF is a widely cited commercial real estate planning benchmark; actual requirements vary by municipality and building type. Confirm current local zoning code and the specific building's parking count directly.

Find a Space

Looking for office, industrial, or retail space? TenantBase can connect you with a local tenant-rep broker.