How to List an Industrial Unit for Rent – A Landlord’s Guide

Are you a commercial industrial unit landlord looking to rent your property? Are you trying to work out the best way to list your property to ensure that you get good tenants and a good rental income? The key to getting the best results is knowing how to list an industrial unit.

Here at Boxpod, our job is to help commercial landlords find the best tenants for their properties, so we know what works and what doesn’t when it comes to listing industrial units.

In this article, we will guide landlords through the process of listing their industrial unit to successfully attract the best tenants for them, at the lowest cost possible.

What is an Industrial Unit?

In the world of commercial property, different types of properties are classified into different categories. This would normally be done according to the kind of building and what it would be used for.

The different categories include –

• Industrial units or workshops
• Offices
• Retail units
• Storage

Industrial units would normally include properties that are used as distribution centres, factories, or for manufacturing. They would normally consist of a large space where businesses have the space to carry out their work – whether it is the manufacturing of products or the storage of goods before they are shipped on.

The industrial unit market is booming at the moment. With the rise in online business, distribution centres have become increasingly in demand, and other factors have led to a very competitive market. Research shows that the industrial unit take-up early this year (2026) was 8.4 million sq ft, and annual rental growth is currently at 4%. It is one of the fastest-growing markets in commercial property at the moment.

Whilst it’s great news that industrial units are in demand, to be able to get the best tenants, it is essential that you have a good quality property, and that you list it properly and market it well.

How Should I Prepare my Industrial Unit for Renting?

Once a commercial landlord has acquired their industrial unit, it is important to prepare the property before it is listed. It is about marketing it in a similar way to a house when putting it on the market; commercial landlords should also be preparing their properties. Without preparing it, there is little chance of getting the tenants and rental yield that the property deserves.

The first step to preparing an industrial unit for rent is to understand who will be renting the commercial property. With this knowledge, landlords can then ensure that the property reflects the needs of their potential tenants.

For an industrial unit, this could include features such as ensuring access for large vehicles, ensuring that security is at the highest level, or creating a small office area, for example.

For town planning purposes, commercial properties are split into ‘use classes’, and within industrial units, there are also ‘industrial unit use classes’. These can be used to guide landlords in how to prepare the property – and also understand which tenants are suitable for the property.

There are government regulations relating to renting a commercial unit – ensuring that the property is up to date with fire and health and safety regulations, for example. The more that is done before the property is leased, the less disruption in the future. Commercial properties also need an up-to-date EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) that provides tenants with details relating to the building’s energy efficiency. We recommend that landlords organise this as soon as possible, as they can potentially take a while to be carried out, and consequently so can any work required to be carried out.

Landlords should also ensure that repairs and maintenance are carried out and perhaps give the property a lick of paint and tidy up the flooring. This is as much about wanting the property to look presentable as it is about encouraging new tenants to look after the property as a landlord would want it to be looked after.

How do I Set the Rent for an Industrial Unit?

Once an industrial unit is ready for renting, a landlord needs to consider the amount of money that they are looking to charge for rent. There are no regulations or laws relating to how much can be charged for an industrial unit rent, but it is important to remember that the price should be competitive with other similar commercial properties. Of course, commercial property landlords looking to rent out their property need to not be making a loss, but they will be earning nothing if it is sitting empty.

The first step would be to research what other landlords are charging for an industrial unit that is similar to theirs. This applies not only to the size and location of the property, but also other terms such as the length of the lease, and other things that might be included – cleaning services, security, or extra parking, for example.

Rental charges for industrial units in the UK are usually calculated based on location and by square foot. Currently, properties in London and the Southeast are able to charge more than those elsewhere in the UK.

In short, the rental rate should depend on a number of factors:

• Size
• Location
• Condition
• The kind of tenant that the landlord is trying to attract

How do I Market my Commercial Industrial Unit?

When the industrial unit is ready to be rented, there are a few more pieces of information that can be useful to attracting the right commercial tenants.

Landlords should take high-quality photographs that show the property in its best light – without being dishonest. They should include indoor and outdoor pictures, highlighting anything that could be of interest to tenants. Some landlords prefer to show the property empty, whereas others prefer to show photographs that can help potential tenants to visualise themselves inside the property.

Another useful piece of information for potential tenants is a floor plan. With this, they can see more detailed dimensions of the property and decide if the industrial unit will work for them.

When it comes to the marketing information of a commercial property, accuracy is essential. Landlords need to attract the best tenants, whilst ensuring that both parties are not wasting time by showing potential tenants round a property that they are not at all suited to.

There are three main ways to find tenants for an industrial unit – through word of mouth, using an agent, or by listing it yourself. Working with an agent can be expensive, but a landlord can list their property without an agent with us here at Boxpod for as little as £12 per month, paying no commission.

How do I List my Industrial Unit?

For industrial unit landlords looking to list their property with us at Boxpod, it is a simple process. Write a short description and come up with a few features that you would like to highlight to potential tenants – parking, whether there is a reception, warehouse door size, office area, or sustainability, for example.

Once you have the details and photographs, you can sign up with us here, get the details online as soon as you can, and wait for the enquiries to come in!

If you are an industrial unit landlord looking for future tenants, you can list your property with Boxpod today! No commission, no middleman, and for £12 per month!

If you are a business looking for a new industrial unit – or, indeed, other commercial property, why not have a look at the commercial properties that we have available here?