HomeFounders News › Real Estate & Premises

US office vacancy eases to 17.8% as asking rents rise 1.7% year over year

CommercialCafe's national office report published September 17, 2026 put US office vacancy at 17.8% in August (down 90 basis points year over year), with average asking rents at $33.20 per square foot, up 1.7% from a year earlier. Manhattan led with just over 10% vacancy (Class A at 9%); Manhattan, Boston, and Dallas topped the construction pipeline.

Why this matters for founders

Landlord leverage is still soft in most metros, so founders signing a first office can push for concessions and shorter terms; premium Class A space in top cities is tightening fastest.

Source: CommercialCafe

Related updates

More that helps you.

Get briefs like this tuned to you.

In the app, Founder Briefs are personalized to your country, industry and stage, and you can save the ones that matter.

See plans →
FoundersCheckList.AI app
Founders using FoundersCheckList.AI