Tenant guide — Cambridge industrial leasing
Industrial space for lease in Cambridge
Industrial space for lease in Cambridge is found through landlords and their representatives, not a public listings portal — availability turns over quickly, so the current picture comes from a direct conversation about size, clear height, loading and timing. Most Cambridge industrial leases are net (NNN): base rent plus your share of property taxes, insurance and common-area costs, with HST and utilities on top. Pinnacle Commercial represents tenants and landlords in Cambridge — never both on the same deal — and can usually put a current shortlist together the same day.
Last updated: October 24, 2026
Industrial and flex space along the 401 corridor, plus a working downtown core in Galt and Hespeler with ground-floor retail and office over top.
The 401/Highway 8 interchange puts most of the city's industrial base within a short haul of the rest of the Waterloo Region and the GTA, which is a large part of why tenants tend to stay once they're in.
Because available space turns over fast, a static list is wrong the day after it's posted. The working method is a requirement-first conversation: tell me the size, the clear height, the loading you need and the timeline, and you'll get what's realistic in Cambridge right now — including space that's about to come available but isn't public yet.
No listings page, on purpose
A public list would be out of date within days, and it would tell every other broker in the region exactly what's in play. The shortlist is built per requirement instead — usually the same day you ask.
Set the requirement
Size, clear height, loading, power and timeline. Those five facts decide which Cambridge buildings are even worth a conversation.
Get the current picture
There is no public list to browse — availability turns over too fast. A direct conversation produces a shortlist of what actually exists right now, including space not yet formally marketed.
Compare on total occupancy cost
Face rent alone misleads. Compare each option on base rent plus TMI or additional rent, and model the full term before ranking buildings.
Negotiate the whole deal
Free rent, fixturing periods, tenant-improvement money, security, renewal rights, exclusivity, assignment language and restoration obligations can materially change the economics and risk of a lease.
Review before you sign
Lease structures here are usually net (NNN), but gross and semi-gross terms come up. The signed document governs — walk through exactly what you are agreeing to before you sign anything.
Take possession and fixture
Possession timing and the fixturing period agreed in negotiation set the move-in schedule. The lease terms, not the brochure, decide who does and pays for what.
Rent is only one line of the deal.
A tenant comparing Cambridge industrial space should expect these components. Exact figures depend on the building and the signed lease — the point is that none of them should arrive as a surprise.
| Cost component | What it is |
|---|---|
| Base (net) rent | The quoted rent for the space itself, usually expressed annually per rentable square foot. |
| TMI / additional rent | A separate estimate or charge for items allocated under the lease, commonly including some combination of taxes, maintenance and insurance. |
| HST | Quoted rent figures are before HST. Occupancy cost in the lease calculator is shown before HST, utilities and tenant-specific costs. |
| Utilities & tenant-specific costs | Costs that sit outside the rent figures and vary by operation — they belong in the comparison even though they are not on the listing sheet. |
| Fixturing & improvements | Free rent, a fixturing period or tenant-improvement money may offset build-out, but only as negotiated. The balance of fit-out is a tenant cost to budget for. |
| Lease security | Security is one of the business terms reviewed in a lease decision, alongside term, inducements requested and whether the use fits the property and zoning. |
Run your own numbers with the commercial lease & NNN rent calculator — it converts quoted rent per square foot into monthly and annual occupancy cost, including the effect of base-rent-free months.
Pinnacle Commercial is a four-city practice — Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Guelph — not a satellite covering Cambridge from somewhere else. The leasing practice covers both sides of the table:
- Landlord representation — positioning, marketing and tenant sourcing for vacant space
- Tenant representation — site selection and lease negotiation, from first-time tenants to relocations
- Gross, net (NNN) and percentage lease structures explained plainly before you sign anything
- Renewal and re-negotiation support for existing tenancies
Landlords and tenants are both represented, though never on the same deal at the same time — you get direct representation, not a split-loyalty arrangement.
Start here
Send the size, clear height, loading and timeline — or the address of the space you have to lease — and the conversation starts from what actually exists right now.
Do you have a list of available industrial space in Cambridge?
No public listings page — for a reason. A list like that is out of date within days, and it tells every other broker in the region exactly what's in play. A direct conversation gets you the real current picture instead.
What lease structures are typical for industrial space?
Most industrial leases here are net (NNN) — base rent plus your share of taxes, insurance and common-area costs — though gross and semi-gross terms do come up. I'll walk you through exactly what you're agreeing to before you sign anything.
What does an industrial tenant pay besides base rent?
On a net lease, base rent is only part of the monthly occupancy cost. Expect TMI or additional rent on top — a separate charge for items allocated under the lease, commonly including some combination of taxes, maintenance and insurance — plus HST, and utilities and tenant-specific costs, which sit outside the rent figures.
What should I have ready before asking about space?
The size you need, the clear height, the loading you need and your timeline. Industrial tenants may also care heavily about power and highway access. With those facts, the shortlist can be realistic instead of generic.
Do you represent landlords, or only tenants?
Both, though never on the same deal at the same time. Whichever side you're on, you get direct representation, not a split-loyalty arrangement.
How fast can I get in front of available space?
Usually the same day. One call gets you a shortlist based on what actually exists right now, including space I know about before it’s formally marketed.
Cambridge, industrial