How to Lease Commercial Office Space to the Government

The federal government leases office space in thousands of buildings around the nation.

The federal government leases thousands of properties across the country and around the world for commercial office space, warehousing, maintenance facilities, antenna sites and a variety of other purposes. Leases can be for both long and short term and include large and small properties. While the larger spaces with long-term leases are usually arranged through a complex and competitive solicitation process, smaller short-term leases are often arranged locally through a more informal process.

Instructions

Formal Lease Solicitations

1. Visit FedBizOpps.gov, the federal government's central web site for purchasing and leasing.

2. Click the link for "advanced search form" just under the main search fields.

3. Scroll down the Advanced Search page to the "Classification Code" section. Scroll to the end of the code list and check the box for the listing "Lease or rental of facilities." It is item "X" on the list.

4. Click "Search" to display a list of all leasing solicitations at the FedBizOpps site. The list will include pre-solicitations, solicitations and notices of awards.

5. Click any solicitation item of interest to read the full "Solicitation of Offers," that describes in detail what the government is seeking and the steps required to submit your leasing proposal.

Informal Leasing

1. Find the Leasing Contract Specialist who handles leases in your state by reviewing the list of specialists provided by the U.S. General Services Administration. These specialists help arrange smaller, more informal leases that are not offered as a formal solicitation.

2. Notify the local office of the U.S. Government Services Administration of leasing opportunities you have in your area. You can send a description of available properties by letter, fax or email. You can also speak with the specialist prior to your submission to find out any local needs or anticipated future needs in the area.

3. Call or email your specialist every few months to identify new or emerging lease opportunities in your area.

References

• Negotiating on Federal Leased Opportunities
• U.S. General Services Administration: Contact Information for Leasing
• FedBizOpps.gov