1 Location, Location, Location
There are huge variations in costs within London and the least expensive locations aren’t always where you’d expect. For example heading West can get more expensive than within some parts of the West End. South of the river is less expensive and Mid-Town is reasonable compared to the City & West End.
2 Better Prices at New Business Centres
Look out for new buildings – if the owners have got a lot of space to let then there’s always going to be room for negotiation. They will also be able to configure your offices exactly how you want them if you get in early enough.
3 Always Negotiate
Never think that the price you’re quoted is the end of the discussion. Obviously there will be a few exceptions, but generally it’s always worth making an offer.
4 Rent Free Periods
Some operators will offer you a rent free period as a carrot. This is good and worth looking out for but bear in mind that you will have to pay the full monthly rate on renewal after say 12 months so if you can negotiate your basic rent down lower from the beginning then that’s the base from which the rent will be increased on renewal.
5 Discounts for Longer Terms
Most operators will discount the monthly rent for longer terms of occupation. If you can commit for 12 months (even if you put in an option to break during that time) you will normally be offered a discount on the basic rent – certainty for you and certainty for the operator.
6 Watch the Extras
A few operators offer amazing inclusive packages but there are others who rely on the extras they can charge, so just keep an eye on what’s going to be an extra and what’s included in the rent e.g. telephone handsets and internet packages.
7 Check Notice Periods
Be aware of how much notice you must give to leave your offices at the end of your agreement. Don’t just assume that you can walk away at the end – more often than not you still have to give notice and this is often three months. Make a diary note a month ahead of the deadline to give you time to consider your options.
We are the award winning website for serviced offices in London. We are here to help you and we won't charge you any fees - we are paid by the owners of these offices so our advice to you is totally unbiased. The rental costs vary a great deal between buildings and locations - of course you get what you pay for, but we don't advertise any serviced offices that we wouldn't want to occupy ourselves.
At the cost effective end of the range there are locations which are simple but business like with good quality self contained office space to let - these offices always have a reception area for your visitors and meeting rooms are normally available on demand. At the top end of the scale there are serviced office operators who offer fully inclusive serviced offices, in some cases even including telephone calls and internet usage, within the inclusive monthly rent.