Romania ranks fourth cheapest in a ranking made on total occupancy costs per workstation, after Budapest, Tallinn and Vilnius, according to DTZ Echinox’s ‘DTZ Occupier Perspective: Global Occupancy Costs Offices 2012’ study. Moreover, Romanian workers operate in a 11 sqm space, while for example, a worker in Prague uses a space of 14.8 sqm. In Budapest, the space utilization per worker is 12.6 sqm, while in Warsaw - 12 sqm.

The costs per workstation for the offices in Bucharest remained constant in 2011 from the previous year, but, an increase of 3 percent is expected over the next 3 years. According to the study, the total occupancy cost per workstation in 2011 was USD 3,590 in Bucharest, ranking fourth cheapest in Europe after Budapest - USD 3,530, Vilnius - USD 3,460, and Tallinn - USD 3,430.

“The trend toward consolidation and efficiency of the offices that we noticed on the international markets is also felt in Romania, especially in Bucharest. We will see in the coming years a refining of the selection criteria for the offices. The value of the rent per square meter will become less relevant and the attention will go towards other details such as space utilization, the amount of maintenance costs, and so on,’ said Madalina Cojocaru, Head of the Office Department, DTZ Echinox.

Total average occupancy costs per workstation in Europe increased, in local currency, by a marginal 1 percent during 2011 as a result of falling confidence, according to the study.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Photoxpress.com)