The commercial space market is deserted.

A business premises on Highway 9, Dong Ha City has a sign for rent - Photo: HT

According to the reporter, along Highway 9 there are a series of signs saying “house for rent” and “store for transfer”, reflecting the clear slowdown of the commercial real estate segment in the area. Not only Highway 9, many other once bustling and vibrant roads in Dong Ha City are also falling into a similar situation.

The premises that used to be bustling business locations have now become deserted, with houses left vacant for months without tenants. Through investigation, the main reason was determined to be cost pressure, in the context of many economic difficulties, many small and micro enterprises were forced to reduce their scale or temporarily stop operations. In addition, many people are worried about spending money on investments while purchasing power is slowing down as well as having to "bear" bank interest, employee wages, and taxes without a stable customer base, so they have returned the premises or found other cheaper places to do business.

Ms. Le Thi Thoan, owner of a food business in Dong Ha City, shared: “I have rented a space for food business on Le Loi Street, Dong Ha City for 7 years with a rental price of 7 million VND/month. However, because the rental price increases every year, sales do not increase, even decrease because people tend to tighten spending while the price of raw materials increases every day, the revenue cannot cover the cost, and the capital also gradually decreases. Until now, I cannot afford it, so I have to accept closing the store, returning the space, and doing online business at home.”

According to many local real estate brokers, rental prices have decreased significantly compared to the same period in 2024. Specifically, previously, the rental price of a whole house in prime locations on National Highway 9 and Hung Vuong ranged from 15 to 20 million VND per month, now down to 11 to 16 million VND. Smaller premises, such as the first floor or living room, previously had a rental price of 6 to 8 million VND, now around 5 to 6 million VND per month. However, the number of customers asking to rent is still not much, some landlords even accept to reduce the price further or be flexible with the contract term, but the situation has not improved.

An important factor leading to the slowdown of the rental market is the strong shift in consumer habits from direct shopping to online shopping. On the other hand, there is still a "contradiction" between the expectations of the landlords and the actual needs of the market. Many owners still keep high rental prices based on potential or initial investment costs. In addition, rental conditions often come with many strict constraints such as: long-term rental periods, large deposits, or regulations on repairing and renovating premises.

Ms. Le Thi Hien, owner of an online fashion store in Ward 5, Dong Ha City, said that since before Tet, she has been looking for a suitable location to expand her business. Because clothes and shoes are items that many customers want an "offline" location to come and try on to suit their preferences and sizes. However, for nearly 3 months now, Ms. Hien has not found a suitable location. "The rent in central locations is too high, over 10 million VND/month, while the premises in other areas are too far away, inconvenient for customers who want to come and shop and experience. In addition, some landlords also require a deposit of 6 - 12 months of rent, which puts a lot of pressure on the cash flow of small businesses like us," Ms. Hien said.

On the side of the owners of rental premises, facing the general difficulties of the current market, many landlords are also proactively adapting by repairing and dividing the premises to suit the small business model.

Some landlords support tenants with operational issues, electricity and water installation costs, and reduce rents by 10% - 20% and commit to keeping the same price for the first 2 - 3 years so that tenants can feel secure in their long-term commitment.

Prioritizing long-term leases, proactively approaching suitable customers and being flexible in understanding prices at each rental period not only helps limit vacant premises but also demonstrates professionalism and adaptability to a rapidly changing market.

It can be seen that the market for rental business premises has been quite quiet in recent times, which is a common situation in many localities in the province. This situation cannot be improved immediately but still depends on the development of the economy and the recovery and business strategies of enterprises. However, to gradually overcome the difficulties, owners of rental premises and business households need to have measures to support each other through this period.

In particular, it is necessary to refer to the common ground to bring the rental price back to its true value, along with completing the infrastructure of the ground, meeting the conditions of the law, reasonable usage... so that both sides benefit and develop together.

Ha Trang

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/thi-truong-mat-bang-kinh-doanh-vang-bong-nguoi-thue-194543.htm