Setting up in São Paulo, with the city mapped out before your first visit.
Wharbz helps companies from other Brazilian states and from abroad choose, negotiate and occupy commercial property in São Paulo, with a reading of the city's business districts, a few decisive visits and remote follow-up on every step that does not require being here.
When it makes sense
For companies opening or moving an office to São Paulo that need to decide without knowing the city in detail.
- The company comes from another state or another country and is opening its first operation in São Paulo.
- The decision-makers are far away and have little time for visits.
- Headquarters asks for comparisons, costs and timelines before approving.
- Brazilian law, leases and market customs are new to the people deciding.
For each property type, the pages on office space, single-tenant buildings and street retail detail what to assess.
How it works, remotely and on site
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Briefing Remote
A video call about the operation: team, timing, budget, who needs to get there and what the address needs to say.
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District reading and shortlist Remote
The districts that make sense and a few properties with comments, photos, floor plans and the total cost of each.
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Visits In person
A short itinerary, only with the properties that made the shortlist.
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Negotiation and lease Remote
Written proposals, with the company's lawyer reviewing the lease. Signing can be electronic, when the parties agree.
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Fit-out and move Remote and in person
The schedule with architects and suppliers up to the move, and follow-up after it.
At every stage, material you can take to headquarters. See what you receive.
What changes when you come from elsewhere
Some questions have their own answers in São Paulo, and it pays to know them before the first proposal.
| Point | What to know |
|---|---|
| District | São Paulo has several business centers; the right one depends on who needs to get there and who the company wants nearby. See the districts. |
| Commuting | Traffic weighs on the daily routine; metro and train lines change the team's day and clients' access. |
| Total cost | Building service charges (condomínio) and the IPTU property tax come on top of rent, and leases often pass them on to the tenant. |
| Guarantee | The law allows one guarantee per lease. For a newly arrived company with no track record in Brazil, it is one of the central points of the negotiation. |
| Rent adjustment | Once a year, by the index set in the lease, usually the IGP-M or the IPCA. |
| Who signs | Usually the company already incorporated in Brazil, with a CNPJ and a legal representative. The lawyer and the accountant handle this step. |
The cost of setting up in São Paulo
Rent is one line. The cost of occupying a property in São Paulo includes the building service charges, the IPTU property tax when the lease passes it on to the tenant, the fit-out, the furniture, the move, the cost of the guarantee and the effect of the rent-free period over the whole lease.
Wharbz puts it all in a single table, over the whole lease, so headquarters can compare the options and approve.
- Rent
- Building service charges
- IPTU property tax, when passed on
- Fit-out
- Furniture and move
- Cost of the guarantee
- Negotiated rent-free period, over the lease
- Total occupancy cost
Who does what
Setting up involves several professionals. Each in their own role, on a single schedule.
Wharbz
District reading, shortlist, visits, negotiation and follow-up through the move.
Lawyer
Review of the lease, the guarantees and the company's obligations.
Accountant
Incorporating the company in Brazil, the CNPJ and tax obligations.
Architect and engineers
Design, fit-out and technical reports on the property.
If the company does not yet have a lawyer and an architect in São Paulo, we can recommend trusted professionals and, when needed, engineers, with no obligation.
Brazilian tenancy law in a few lines
Which law applies
Law 8,245/1991, known as the Tenancy Law (Lei do Inquilinato), also governs commercial leases.
Leaving early
During the term, the owner cannot take the property back, except in the cases set by law; the tenant may return it early by paying the agreed penalty, proportional to the time already served (art. 4).
Rent adjustment
Annual, by the index set in the lease, usually the IGP-M or the IPCA.
Guarantee
One per lease: a security deposit, a personal guarantee, rent guarantee insurance or an assignment of investment fund units (art. 37).
Renewal
Written commercial leases of five years or more can be renewed in court, if they meet the legal requirements (art. 51).
Sale of the property
Unless a clause keeping the lease in force is registered on the property's title, a buyer can end the lease with 90 days' notice (art. 8).
Wharbz points out what to check; reviewing the lease is the job of the company's lawyer. If the company does not have one in São Paulo yet, we can recommend one, with no obligation.
Where in São Paulo
Each district suits a different kind of company. Each district guide covers the area in detail.
- Avenida Paulista The easiest address to explain to people from elsewhere, with four metro stations.
- Faria Lima The financial market's address; tightly contested supply and few contiguous areas.
- Itaim Bibi From compact floors to full floors, with neighborhood life within walking distance.
- Vila Olímpia Efficient floors in modern buildings, busy by day and by night.
- Berrini and Chucri Zaidan Large floors in recent buildings, with Line 17-Gold and direct access to Marginal Pinheiros.
- Pinheiros and Butantã A new generation of office buildings, with the metro at the door.
- Oscar Freire The street-front showcase of Jardins, for brands that depend on the street.
- Vila Nova Conceição A discreet address, with commercial houses and compact floors.
What companies from elsewhere ask before leasing in São Paulo
By property type
- Office spaceFor operations that want a corporate setting in a shared building, with room to grow.
- Single-tenant buildingsFor companies that need full control: access, identity and a building adapted to the operation.
- Street retailFor brands that depend on a storefront, foot traffic and the right customers at the door.
Setting up in São Paulo? The conversation starts with what your operation needs, before your first visit.
Talk to an advisor