Key points
- In a shell space (IT4 CORE or IT5 SHELL) you install most of the digital infrastructure yourself.
- That gives you the freedom to fit out exactly what you need — and it costs money that belongs in your budget.
- Before signing, check fibre availability, the number of providers and the scope for redundancy.
- Standard ROZ contracts do not specifically address IT infrastructure; put those agreements in writing explicitly.
- The property's IT-Label gives you that information beforehand, instead of after you have moved in.
Shell means: you fit it out yourself
When renting a shell commercial space, most entrepreneurs look at location, accessibility, energy label and sustainability. Understandably — those factors weigh in directly. Digital infrastructure often stays out of view, even though with a shell delivery that is precisely where most of the tenant's own investment sits.
A shell delivery means, by definition, that the building provides the basics and you provide the rest. That is not a shortcoming of the property; it is the agreement. The only question is whether you know what that agreement concretely involves before you sign.
What an IT4 CORE or IT5 SHELL says about a shell space
These classifications describe a property with a basic internet connection, standard cabling, limited redundancy and little or no backup power. For many users that is fine. For an organisation running on real-time data, it means there is work to do.
That work can be budgeted. Think of installing a fibre connection, pulling cabling, fitting out a technical room and setting up network security. Depending on the property and your requirements, that adds up to a substantial amount — an amount that belongs in the comparison between properties, alongside the rent.
What you want to know before signing
Is there fibre into the building, or only to the street? That difference can cost months and a considerable sum. How many providers can actually serve the property — one, or several? Is there a second, physically separate route to the building, or does everything come in the same way? What is the state of the risers, and is there room for your own cabling? And is there a technical room you may use, with sufficient cooling and power?
These are not exotic questions, but they are rarely asked during a viewing. An IT-Label answers them before you have to ask. More on fibre and what its presence means.
Curious about your building's IT-label?
Discover how your property scores on digital infrastructure.
Request IT-labelPut it in the contract
Standard ROZ model contracts do not specifically address IT infrastructure. As a result, it goes unspoken who is responsible for installation, who for maintenance, and what happens to your investment at the end of the term.
That is solvable by making it explicit: which provisions the landlord delivers, which you install yourself, whether you may take them with you when you leave, and who carries the risk if the connection fails. The property's IT-Label gives you the factual basis for that conversation.
A shell space is not a poor space. It is a space where the digital bill sits with you — and that is fine, as long as you know it before you sign.
The freedom on the other side
There is a flip side that often goes unmentioned. Whoever fits out themselves, fits out what they need. No paying for redundancy the operation does not ask for, no compromise with an existing installation, and a network designed for your way of working.
For many organisations, a shell property with a well-researched digital base is therefore a deliberate choice, not a fallback. More on the division of responsibilities between landlord and tenant.
Have it established independently
Anyone who wants certainty about what a property offers digitally can have it assessed by an IT-Label Certified Partner. They establish what is in place and what is needed — independently of the landlord and of the supplier who might later install it.
That costs time up front and saves discussion later. Get in touch if you want to know what is involved.
