What does renting a warehouse cost? From the advertised rate to your moving budget

You have found a warehouse at EUR 5/sqm and need 500 sqm. The rent is EUR 2,500 a month. The next question is whether the business can afford to move in, including everything payable before the first delivery.

That requires two calculations: monthly operating costs and the cash needed at the start. Mixing them can leave you short of cash or turn a refundable deposit into an apparent recurring expense.

Establish exactly what the invoice covers

Multiplying a rate by floor area works only once the rented space is defined. Offices may have a separate rate, the yard may be shared, and “from 1,000 sqm” does not mean the owner will create any subdivision you request.

Ask for a written quote with four lines: warehouse, offices, yard/parking and services. Each needs an area or number of spaces, a price and a description of what is included. An unconfirmed charge remains a question to resolve; it is not zero in the budget.

For example, the 1,150 sqm Pallady warehouse is offered at EUR 7,500/month with a further 200 sqm of offices and a 2,950 sqm site. Dividing the rent only by the warehouse area overlooks the offices; dividing it by the site area mixes different uses. Keep the package price in the budget and establish what yard use is included. VAT treatment needs confirming for this offer.

A monthly budget for 500 sqm

The Jilava – Gara Progresul offer has 500 sqm at EUR 5/sqm/month + VAT: EUR 2,500 in base rent.

We use that rent in a worked example. All other figures below are calculation assumptions, not charges quoted for this property. Replace them with bills, estimates and the terms of your chosen offer. Values are before VAT.

The difference from the advertised rent is EUR 650/month, or EUR 7,800 a year in this example.

One summer utility bill tells you little about a warehouse heated through winter. Ask for bills from both seasons and find out how the previous tenant used the building: temperature, working hours and frequency of door opening. Their consumption is a reference, not your future bill.

Cash needed before moving in

Continue the same example with a deposit of two months' rent, the first month paid in advance, EUR 8,000 of works and EUR 1,200 for moving. These are hypothetical terms, not the terms of the Jilava property.

Add any service invoices due at entry, continuing costs at the old premises and VAT applicable to the payments. Request a schedule of amounts and due dates: two offers with the same rent can require cash at different times.

A refundable deposit ties up cash rather than creating a monthly expense. Advance rent already pays for one month of the lease and should not be counted twice. Fit-out and moving costs, however, need to be recovered over the time you use the space.

For a 36-month comparison, EUR 9,200 of works and moving adds roughly EUR 256/month to the economic cost. That brings the example to approximately EUR 3,406/month, before VAT, indexation and any exit costs. Spreading the sum over 36 months is a comparison tool; the EUR 9,200 still has to be paid at the start.

When transport uses up the rent saving

Two advertised offers as of 17 October 2026 provide a concrete comparison:

• 590 sqm in Afumați: EUR 2,065/month + VAT;
• 500 sqm in Jilava: EUR 2,500/month + VAT.

The gap is EUR 435/month, without assuming identical specifications. Across 22 working days, that is about EUR 19.77 a day.

Compare that threshold with your routes. If the lower-rent location adds more than this in daily transport costs, the rent saving disappears. Include extra distance and driver time, using your company's own costs. Avoid counting wages twice if your per-kilometre figure already includes them.

Delivery direction matters. Afumați may shorten routes for customers in the north-east; a business serving the south may reach a different conclusion. Check the route at actual delivery times, including waiting at the gate and unloading.

What to negotiate once the numbers are clear

If works are needed, bring a scope, cost estimate and programme to the discussion. Establish each party's contribution, the handover date and the date rent starts. “The landlord will fit it out” is not enough for a budget.

If occupation depends on a loading ramp, electrical supply or subdivision, record who arranges the work, who pays and when it will be complete. A rent discount does not resolve a delayed opening.

A useful enquiry is: “We need approximately 500 sqm of warehouse, 30 sqm of offices, two parking spaces and access for our truck. Please separate rent, services, deposit, works before handover and payments due at signing.”

If the 500 sqm requirement is still an assumption, start with working out the size of a small warehouse. Then shortlist warehouse rentals that fit both the monthly budget and the cash available for moving.