Quick answer: An office relocation in India usually takes about 90 days from shortlisting a floor to the first working day. The fit-out sets the pace. Use this office relocation checklist to fix headcount and budget, check the building’s approvals, register the lease, approve a fixed BOQ, then move in phases and update your GST and company address on time.
Most office moves in India don’t go wrong on moving day. They go wrong months earlier, when a lease is signed before anyone checks the landlord’s fit-out rules, or when notice on the old office runs out before the new floor has a working fire system. By then the cost is rent on two offices and a team with nowhere to sit.
Demand for space is also high. JLL reports that India’s office gross leasing reached a record 61.06 million sq ft in January to September 2026, so good floors in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Gurgaon move quickly. This guide sets out the order of work for an Indian office relocation, what each step costs in rupees, and the compliance steps that are easy to miss.
What should an office relocation checklist cover?
An office relocation checklist is a dated list of decisions and tasks that takes you from “we need a new office” to a working floor, with an owner for each one. For an Indian company it has to cover five areas:
- Space: how many people, how they work, how much growth you need to allow for, and which floors fit.
- Lease and legal: the term sheet, lock-in, rent-free fit-out period, registration and stamp duty, and notice on your current office.
- Building and approvals: the building’s occupancy certificate and fire NOC, the landlord’s fit-out manual, and drawing approvals for your design.
- Fit-out: design, BOQ (bill of quantities), civil and MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) work, furniture, IT and snagging (fixing small defects).
- Move and compliance: IT cutover, the physical move, and updating your address with GST, the Registrar of Companies and every other registration.
The rest of this guide takes those areas in the order you meet them.
How long does an office relocation take in India?
Plan for about 90 days for a typical office of 5,000 to 20,000 sq ft in a warm-shell building (one with core services such as AC, lighting and a ceiling grid already in place). Bare-shell floors, very large offices and buildings with slow landlord approvals take longer. Here is how the 90 days usually split:
Days 1 to 15: brief and due diligence
Fix your headcount today and in two to three years, your work pattern (fixed desks, hybrid or a mix), the rooms you need, and a budget band. Shortlist two or three floors and ask for a test fit on each (a quick layout showing how many seats and rooms the floor really holds). A floor that looks bigger on paper can seat fewer people once columns, the core and fire exits are drawn in.
Days 15 to 30: lease, design and approvals
Negotiate and sign the lease, register it, and give notice on your old office in line with its lock-in and notice clauses. At the same time, approve the 3D design and a fixed, itemised BOQ, and submit drawings to the landlord for approval. This is the stage where delays cost the most, because nothing can start on site until the landlord signs off.
Days 30 to 75: fit-out on site
Civil work, partitions, ceilings, HVAC changes, electrical, fire detection and sprinkler changes, data cabling and furniture. Quick Furnish hands over most office fit-outs in 6 to 8 weeks. Hold a weekly site review and keep a written log of every change.
Days 75 to 90: snagging, IT and the move
Get the network, Wi-Fi, access control and meeting-room AV working before anyone moves. Walk the floor with a snag list, close it, and complete the building’s fire checks. Then move in phases over a weekend, and file your address changes within the statutory deadlines.
How much does it cost to relocate an office in India?
The fit-out is by far the largest cost of a move. Cushman & Wakefield’s APAC Office Fit-Out Cost Guide 2026 (December 2025 pricing) puts a collaborative hybrid office at about ₹5,847 per sq ft in Ahmedabad, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata, ₹6,027 in Bengaluru, ₹6,207 in Delhi and ₹6,567 in Mumbai. Applied to common office sizes, that gives:
| Office size | Ahmedabad, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata (₹5,847/sq ft) | Bengaluru (₹6,027/sq ft) | Delhi NCR (₹6,207/sq ft) | Mumbai (₹6,567/sq ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,000 sq ft | ₹2.92 crore | ₹3.01 crore | ₹3.10 crore | ₹3.28 crore |
| 10,000 sq ft | ₹5.85 crore | ₹6.03 crore | ₹6.21 crore | ₹6.57 crore |
| 20,000 sq ft | ₹11.69 crore | ₹12.05 crore | ₹12.41 crore | ₹13.13 crore |
These are benchmark figures for a full, collaborative hybrid fit-out. A simpler layout in a warm-shell building, or reuse of your existing furniture, can bring the number down; a bare-shell floor, a large server room or premium finishes will push it up. Our guide to office interior cost per sq ft in India breaks down what sits inside each figure.
Beyond the fit-out, budget for these relocation costs:
- Security deposit and advance rent on the new office, as negotiated in the term sheet.
- Stamp duty and registration on the lease or leave and licence agreement, which vary by state.
- Double rent for any overlap between the old and new offices. A rent-free fit-out period on the new lease reduces this, so negotiate one before you sign.
- Reinstatement of the old office, if your current lease requires you to hand it back in its original condition.
- Landlord charges such as a fit-out deposit, after-hours work charges or service connections.
- IT and telecom: new internet lines, network equipment, access control and AV.
- Movers and packing, plus insurance for equipment in transit.
- GST: a commercial fit-out supplied as a works contract is generally taxed at 18%. Check whether each quote includes it.
What legal and compliance steps does an office move involve?
Check the building before you sign
Ask the landlord for the building’s occupancy certificate and current fire NOC, and for the fit-out manual that sets out working hours, drawing approvals, deposits and the base-building systems you must not disturb. In Grade-A towers at BKC or Lower Parel in Mumbai, on Golf Course Extension Road in Gurgaon or on SG Highway in Ahmedabad, the manual can decide your programme. Our guide to fire NOC for office interiors explains how a fit-out affects the building’s fire approvals.
Register the lease or leave and licence agreement
Under Section 17 of the Registration Act, 1908, a lease of immovable property for a term of more than one year must be registered. In Maharashtra, Section 55 of the Maharashtra Rent Control Act, 1999 goes further: every leave and licence or letting agreement must be in writing and registered, whatever its length, and the duty to register falls on the landlord. Maharashtra’s Department of Stamps and Registration runs an online leave and licence registration service. Stamp duty and registration fees are set by each state, so check the current rates for Gujarat, Karnataka, Haryana or wherever your new office is.
Update your GST registration within 15 days
Your office address is part of your GST registration. Under Rule 19 of the CGST Rules, you must apply in Form GST REG-14 within 15 days of the change. For most businesses a change in the principal place of business is a core amendment, so a GST officer has to approve it. A move to another state is not an amendment at all: GST registration is state-wise, so you need a fresh registration in the new state.
File Form INC-22 within 30 days if your registered office moves
If the new office is also your company’s registered office, Section 12(4) of the Companies Act, 2013 requires notice to the Registrar of Companies in Form INC-22 within 30 days of the change. Within the same city, town or village, a board resolution is enough. Attach the notarised lease with a rent receipt no older than one month, the owner’s no-objection, and a utility bill no older than two months. Moves to another city, another ROC jurisdiction or another state need further approvals.
Update every other registration
Then work through the rest: your state Shops and Establishments registration, professional tax, the Import Export Code if you have one, EPFO and ESIC records, bank and insurance records, trade licences, and your letterheads, invoices, website and Google Business Profile. Give one person in your admin or finance team the list and a deadline.
Should you move into a bare-shell, warm-shell or managed office?
The type of space you take decides how much fit-out work, time and capital the move needs.
| Factor | Bare-shell floor | Warm-shell floor | Managed or flexible office |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you get | Structure, core and main services only | Basic ceiling, lighting, AC and often flooring | A ready, operator-built office |
| Fit-out scope | Full: civil, MEP, fire, interiors, furniture | Modify services, build partitions, furnish | Little or none; operator customises |
| Typical time to move in | Longest | About 6 to 8 weeks for most offices | Shortest |
| Upfront capital | Highest | Medium | Lowest; cost sits in the monthly fee |
| Control over design and brand | Full | High | Limited |
| Best for | Long leases, large headquarters, specific needs | Most mid-size offices on 3- to 9-year leases | Short horizons, uncertain headcount, quick starts |
Managed space has grown fast: CBRE’s India office figures for Q3 2026 show flexible space operators led office leasing with a 24% share. For a company with a stable headcount and a lease of several years, though, your own fit-out usually gives more control over layout, brand and long-term cost.
Office relocation mistakes Indian companies make
- Signing the lease before a test fit. Check how many seats and rooms the floor really holds before you commit.
- Skipping the building’s paperwork. No occupancy certificate or fire NOC can block your fit-out approvals and, later, your own compliance.
- Not reading the landlord’s fit-out manual. Night-only working hours or a slow drawing approval can add weeks.
- Giving notice on the old office too early. Align the notice period with a realistic handover date, not the most optimistic one.
- No rent-free fit-out period. Without one you pay rent on a floor you can’t use while it is built.
- Treating IT as a moving-day task. Internet lines and network equipment can take weeks to arrange; order them as soon as the lease is signed.
- Forgetting reinstatement. Your old lease may require you to strip the floor back, which costs time and money at the worst moment.
- Missing the address deadlines. GST REG-14 is due within 15 days and INC-22 within 30 days of the change.
- Splitting the fit-out across too many vendors. Every extra contract is another place for a delay to hide. Our comparison of turnkey vs item-rate contracts explains the trade-off.
How Quick Furnish handles the fit-out side of a relocation
The fit-out is usually the critical path of an office move, and it is the part we take on. Our Design & Build service covers design, planning and procurement, execution and handover under one contract. You approve a test fit, 3D design and a fixed, itemised BOQ before procurement starts, and any change is priced and approved by you first. That gives your admin and finance teams a fixed number and a date to plan the rest of the move around.
For Bajaj Finserv, we delivered a 40,000 sq ft office in Shyamal, Ahmedabad in 60 days on a design and build basis. It was our first pan-India engagement with the brand, the brief was a vibrant, colourful office that reflected its culture, and Bajaj Finserv went on to award us more projects.
Across 600+ projects in 35+ cities, most of our office interiors are handed over in 6 to 8 weeks. Our commercial interiors team in Ahmedabad works from our headquarters, and our Mumbai team and Gurgaon hub cover projects across India.
Planning a move? Get a free test fit and quote on the floors you are considering, or call +91 70437 04333.
Key takeaways
- Plan for about 90 days from shortlisting a floor to the first working day; the fit-out is the critical path.
- Get a test fit on every shortlisted floor before you sign, and read the landlord’s fit-out manual.
- On Cushman & Wakefield’s 2026 benchmarks, a 10,000 sq ft hybrid office costs roughly ₹5.85 crore to fit out in Ahmedabad and ₹6.57 crore in Mumbai.
- Leases over one year must be registered, and in Maharashtra every leave and licence agreement must be registered.
- File GST REG-14 within 15 days of moving, and INC-22 within 30 days if your registered office changes.
- Negotiate a rent-free fit-out period and align notice on the old office with a realistic handover date.
Frequently asked questions about office relocation in India
How far in advance should we plan an office relocation?
Start about three months before you want to move for a typical office of 5,000 to 20,000 sq ft in a warm-shell building. Allow longer for bare-shell floors, very large offices, or buildings with slow landlord approvals, and start earlier still if your current lease has a long notice period.
What is the first step in an office relocation checklist?
Fix your requirements: headcount now and in two to three years, how your team works, the rooms you need and a budget band. Then shortlist floors and get a test fit on each, so you know how many people each option really seats before you negotiate.
How much does it cost to relocate an office in India?
The fit-out is the largest cost. Cushman & Wakefield’s 2026 guide puts a collaborative hybrid office at ₹5,847 to ₹6,567 per sq ft across major Indian cities, so a 10,000 sq ft office runs to roughly ₹5.8 to ₹6.6 crore. Add deposits, stamp duty, IT, movers and any double rent.
Does an office lease need to be registered in India?
A lease of more than one year must be registered under Section 17 of the Registration Act, 1908. In Maharashtra, every leave and licence or letting agreement must be registered regardless of length, under Section 55 of the Maharashtra Rent Control Act. Stamp duty depends on the state.
How do we change our office address in GST?
File an amendment in Form GST REG-14 on the GST portal within 15 days of the change, with proof of the new premises. For most registrations an officer must approve a change in the principal place of business. If you move to a new state, you need a fresh GST registration there.
Do we need to file INC-22 when we change offices?
Only if the new office is also your company’s registered office. Then you must file Form INC-22 with the Registrar of Companies within 30 days of the change. Within the same city, a board resolution is enough; moving to another city, ROC jurisdiction or state needs further approvals.
What is a rent-free fit-out period?
It is a period at the start of a lease when you don’t pay rent while you build your interiors. Its length is negotiated with the landlord. Ask for it in the term sheet, and match it to a realistic fit-out programme so you are not paying full rent on a floor you can’t use.
How long does the office fit-out take during a relocation?
Quick Furnish hands over most office fit-outs in 6 to 8 weeks. Bare-shell floors, large offices, heavy MEP changes or restricted working hours in the building can extend that, so build some buffer into your notice on the old office.
Get a test fit before you sign the lease
Share your floor area, headcount and move-in date, and within 48 hours we will send you a test fit and a realistic budget per sq ft. Send us the floors you are comparing and we will show you how many people each one seats and what it will cost to fit out, so you can negotiate the lease with real numbers.
Prefer to talk? Call +91 70437 04333 or email info@quickfurnish.co.
This guide reflects the Registration Act, the Maharashtra Rent Control Act, the CGST Rules and the Companies Act as checked in November 2026. It is general information, not legal or tax advice; confirm the requirements for your company and state with your advisers.