Large Units’ Share of Available Polish Warehouse Space Falls From 40% to 15%

Warehouse units larger than 20,000 square metres now account for about 15% of available space in Poland, down from roughly 40% a year ago, according to Colliers. Record leasing demand in the first nine months of 2026 has reduced vacancy and narrowed the options for companies planning large relocations or expansions.

By Colliers. English adaptation of the Polish original published on 12 November 2026 at 19:41 UTC.

Łukasz Pańczyk, Director in Colliers’ Logistics and Industrial Agency

The consultancy reported gross take-up of 5.3 million sq m between January and September, the highest total on record for that period and an increase of about 20% year on year. The vacancy rate fell from 8.2% to 5.5% over the past 12 months, its lowest level since the end of 2022.

Poland’s stock of modern warehouse and industrial space reached almost 37.8 million sq m at the end of the third quarter. About 1.5 million sq m was delivered from the start of the year, broadly matching the previous year’s level. High occupancy in new developments and strong absorption of existing space meant that this additional supply did not translate into greater availability.

Net take-up rises more than 50%

Gross take-up measures all leasing transactions, including new contracts, expansions, pre-lets and renegotiations of existing leases. It therefore captures overall tenant activity.

Net take-up, which excludes renegotiations, grew even faster: it rose more than 50% year on year to 3.4 million sq m. In Colliers’ analysis, this measure captures the additional space taken through new leases and business expansions and provides a clearer indication of underlying growth in demand.

Companies expanding their logistics and e-commerce operations were the main drivers. Chinese businesses played a particularly significant role, accounting for about 20% of net take-up from the start of the year.

“The scale of growth in net take-up shows that this is not simply a matter of renewing existing leases, but a real increase in demand for warehouse space. The record results reflect both the growth of e-commerce and the continued expansion of distribution networks. It is one of the strongest signals of the health of Poland’s logistics market,” said Antoni Szwech, Senior Business Analyst in Colliers’ Market Insights department.

Fewer options for large occupiers

Vacancy has been declining since the fourth quarter of 2025, with the availability of large warehouse units shrinking particularly quickly. The fall in the share of units above 20,000 sq m, from about 40% of available space to around 15%, is making early planning more important for tenants.

Companies seeking large facilities have fewer relocation and expansion options, especially in the most sought-after logistics locations. Colliers’ analysis points to a growing need to secure space well before operations are due to move or expand.

“Companies looking for large warehouse facilities have far fewer options today than they did a year ago. Developments tailored to a particular tenant, or securing space at an early stage of a planned project, are increasingly becoming the best solution,” said Łukasz Pańczyk, Director in Colliers’ Logistics and Industrial Agency.

“For tenants, the coming quarters will therefore be a period in which strategic planning of leasing processes may become increasingly important to the availability of space, the choice of location and the commercial and legal terms they can secure in lease negotiations.”

Development activity increases, with 62% already pre-let

Developers have increased investment activity in response to rising demand. About 1.7 million sq m of warehouse space was under construction at the end of the third quarter, 9% more than a year earlier.

The most active area was the Śląskie province in southern Poland. Space under construction there exceeded 640,000 sq m, the highest level since 2022, and more than 70% had already secured tenants.

Developers remain cautious about speculative construction, meaning projects started without secured leases. Such developments account for less than 40% of the total construction pipeline. Across the market, about 62% of space under construction is already covered by lease agreements.

Some developers nevertheless plan to increase the share of speculative projects in the coming quarters. This includes fully speculative schemes in the best locations in key markets.

Rent pressure could be strongest for large units

Colliers’ experts believe rents could gradually enter a period of moderate growth after a spell of stability. They point to record demand, reduced availability of large facilities and high pre-letting levels in new developments as the main drivers.

The strongest upward pressure could affect large warehouse units, where supply is steadily becoming more limited. For smaller units, the case for rent increases is currently much weaker because a relatively broad range of space remains available.