What’s the ROI of occupancy sensors?
The ROI of occupancy sensors comes from cost savings, space efficiency and smarter workplace decisions—often generating returns in the millions by helping organizations reduce leases, cut operational waste, and optimize the employee experience.
Companies that invest in occupancy sensors typically see value across four core areas: real estate, operations, employee experience, and sustainability.
Real estate savings
Occupancy sensors help companies identify underused floors, empty desks, and ghost meetings—leading to substantial lease reductions.
Real example:
A global telecom company using Density sensors discovered it could consolidate from 7 floors to 4, saving $2.6 million annually in rent. That’s just one building.
Other common outcomes:
- Free up square footage and reduce total lease obligations
- Avoid unnecessary office expansions
- Reallocate teams without additional buildouts
Operational efficiency
Sensors provide real-time insights into where people are (and aren’t), allowing you to:
- Reduce cleaning and janitorial costs by servicing only used areas
- Cut energy costs by adjusting HVAC and lighting based on real occupancy
- Streamline amenities like catering and supplies to match actual demand
Real example:
A global tech company saw a 30% reduction in cleaning costs after aligning janitorial schedules with usage data from Density sensors.
Improved workplace experience
Occupancy data helps workplace teams:
- Eliminate overcrowding
- Provide just-right space types (focus zones, collaboration areas, etc.)
- Guide real-time decisions like live wayfinding or meeting room access
Better experiences drive higher employee satisfaction, productivity, and RTO success, which in turn lowers attrition and boosts retention—harder to measure, but deeply valuable.
Environmental impact
Sensors help reduce:
- Wasted energy on lighting and HVAC in empty rooms
- Overbuilt office footprints that require more materials and maintenance
- Food and amenity waste through better forecasting
These environmental efficiencies align with corporate ESG goals and reduce long-term carbon footprints—an ROI in reputation and compliance.
ROI metrics to watch
ROI area
- Lease Reduction
- Cleaning Costs
- Meeting Efficiency
- Employee Allocation
- Energy Savings
Example impact
- $2.6M saved by consolidating floors
- 30% reduction via usage-based scheduling
- 28% more capacity from eliminating no-shows
- 26% increase using same floor space
- Reduced HVAC and lighting in unused zones
Summary
The ROI of occupancy sensors is real and measurable: lower rent, smarter operations, better workspaces, and leaner energy use.
Whether you’re consolidating space, right-sizing your portfolio, or improving how people interact with the office, the financial and strategic returns compound over time.
Explore more guides
How do I improve the employee experience with workplace analytics?
You can improve the employee experience by using workplace analytics and occupancy sensors to design better spaces, support hybrid work, and make data-driven decisions that align with how people actually use your office.
Workplace analytics helps you understand how your environment supports (or hinders) focus, collaboration, well-being, and productivity—all of which directly impact engagement and retention.
What are the advantages of occupancy sensors?
Occupancy sensors provide real-time, accurate insights into how spaces are used—helping companies reduce costs, improve office design, and make better business decisions.
They eliminate guesswork from space planning and empower workplace, facilities, and real estate teams to optimize every square foot.
What are effective workplace strategies for the return to office?
The most effective return-to-office (RTO) strategies combine clear policy, human-centered flexibility, data-driven decisions, and office designs that employees actually want to use.
RTO success isn’t just about mandating a presence—it’s about building a workplace that drives collaboration, morale, and performance.
How do I know if my office space is being wasted?
You can tell if your office space is being wasted by measuring how often each space is used—and occupancy sensors provide the real-time data you need to find out.
If desks, meeting rooms, or entire floors are consistently empty or underutilized, that’s space (and money) going to waste. Tools like Density’s Waffle and Atlas help companies assess usage accurately so they can cut costs and improve the workplace experience.