The Flex Office Handbook

Most serviced offices can be rented from 1 month, though 12 months is the most common term and typically gets occupiers the most favourable rate. Commitments of 6, 12, 24 and 36 months are all available, but longer terms don't always secure better pricing. Managed offices usually start from 24 months.

The commitment length you can access often depends on the operator and the specific office. Some operators reserve month-to-month pricing for their most flexible products (hot desks, open coworking), with private offices priced more keenly for 12+ month deals. Others will offer 3 and 6-month terms on private offices with a small rate premium. There's no single rule — this is something your broker will clarify for each shortlisted option.

Yes. Many operators offer true month-to-month licences, particularly for coworking and smaller private offices. Expect a 5–15% premium over the 12-month rate for the same space. Some operators require a 30 or 60-day notice period to leave.

Month-to-month suits teams that require swing space, mid-transition, testing a new city, or between growth stages. It's also useful as a stopgap while a larger, longer-term office is being fitted out. The premium for flexibility is real — paying 10% more for 6 months beats signing a 3-year commitment you outgrow in 9 months. Your broker can identify which operators are genuinely flexible versus those who advertise month-to-month but lock you in with other terms.

A short-form licence agreement, not a traditional commercial lease. Typical length: 5 to 15 pages, written in plain English. It covers the space you're using, the monthly fee, inclusions, the term, notice periods and house rules. Most can be reviewed and signed within a day.

A licence is structurally different from a lease: it grants you permission to use space rather than exclusive legal title to it. In practice, this means faster signing, simpler terms and less legal exposure on both sides. Rubberdesk can recommend that you seek independent legal advice for any licence you're considering, particularly for longer commitments (12+ months) or larger spaces. For managed offices, agreements are usually longer and more detailed — more like a lease in form, while retaining the commercial flexibility of flex.

Typically, a lease gives you exclusive legal possession of a specific space for a fixed term, enforceable through property law. A licence gives you permission to use space on agreed terms, enforceable as a contract. Licences are simpler, shorter, more flexible and quicker to enter and exit than leases.

For most flexible office occupiers, a licence is the better fit: it matches how serviced space actually works (shared building, operator-managed, inclusive services) and keeps your commitment light. Conventional leases are still the right choice for large, established businesses taking whole buildings or floors on 5+ year terms. IFRS 16 accounting changes have also made shorter service-based agreements more attractive on the balance sheet — a structural tailwind for flex.

You have three options:

1. Renew on the same or a renegotiated rate
2. Move to a different office within or outside the building
3. Exit and return the space

Most operators require 30 to 90 days' notice. If you do nothing, most licences convert to a rolling monthly arrangement at the existing rate. Always read the renewal terms of your agreement carefully.

End-of-term is where having a broker on your side matters most. Operators know you've already absorbed the cost and disruption of moving in, which shifts leverage to them on renewal. Ask Rubberdesk to re-test the market 60–90 days before your renewal date, benchmarking your current rate against comparable live options. Even if you intend to stay, having a live alternative strengthens renewal negotiations materially.

Usually not without penalty.

However, most operators will allow you to move to another office within the terms of the agreement should you outgrow your office space and subject to availability.

A licence is still a commercial commitment for an agreed term. Fortunately, unlike a Lease Agreement most Flex Licences are for 12 months - much more occupier friendly.

Most serviced operators allow you to expand within their building or network without breaking your existing licence. You either take an adjoining office, upgrade to a larger suite, or add satellite desks. Rate adjustments apply to the new space, not the original agreement.

This is one of the structural advantages of flexible office space. Growing from 6 desks to 10 in a conventional lease means renegotiating or subletting elsewhere; in a serviced or managed building, it's often a conversation and a paperwork update. Some operators specifically design portfolios for growing teams — smaller offices feeding into larger ones in the same building, same floor or same neighbourhood. Flag expected growth in your initial brief so your broker shortlists buildings with upward capacity.

By negotiation you might, though it depends on the operator.

Options include moving to a smaller office in the same building (rare without penalty mid-term), downsizing but extending the term of your agreement or absorbing the cost until renewal. Some operators offer formal downsize clauses in managed office agreements.

Contractionary flexibility is harder than expansionary flexibility, and this is worth understanding up front. If your business is in a growth phase with some downside risk, a shorter-term licence (12 months) with clear renewal options often beats a 24-month deal with a theoretical downsize right.

Yes. Rubberdesk operates globally and partners with brokers around the world. Multi-city clients get a single broker as their point of contact, coordinating shortlists and tours across locations.

We see a steady flow of multi-city briefs, Sydney, Singapore, Hong Kong, UAE, New York and London for international, London and Manchester for regional UK plays, and Dublin for EU gateway access. One brief, one broker, consistent shortlist quality across markets.

Internal moves within the same serviced or managed building are usually straightforward and often free of moving costs — operators handle the logistics. You agree the new office, sign an amendment to your existing licence, and the operator coordinates the move over a weekend.

Internal moves are common: growing teams upsizing, consolidating from two offices into one, or relocating to a different floor for a better fit. For the operator, keeping an existing tenant is always cheaper than finding a new one, so they tend to make internal moves easy. Rubberdesk's brokers can still help even after you've moved in — benchmarking the new rate against the wider market before you agree to the move.

Yes. Most serviced and managed offices require a security deposit of 1 to 3 months' rent, held by the operator for the duration of the licence. It's refunded at the end of the term, subject to reinstatement and any outstanding charges.

The security deposit size is one of the most negotiable parts of a serviced office deal. A strong occupier (established business, clean credit, longer term) can often negotiate the deposit down to 1 month, particularly in softer markets. A newer business or one with a weaker credit profile should expect 2–3 months.

Some operators don't charge a security deposit at all. Your Rubberdesk Broker can help you navigate this as you progress through the process.

Typically within 30 days of moving out, subject to any outstanding charges or reinstatement costs. Most operators release the deposit in full once the space has been inspected, final invoices settled, and any damages addressed.

Deposit disputes usually centre on reinstatement — returning the space to the condition you received it in. For a serviced office, this is usually minimal (removing branding, cleaning, handing back keys). For a managed office where you've installed custom fit-out, reinstatement can be substantial unless specifically waived at signing. Rubberdesk recommends clarifying reinstatement expectations in writing before signing, not at the end of the term.

No. Security deposits and monthly rent are paid directly to the operator or host, not to Rubberdesk. Our role ends at the introduction, shortlisting and negotiation — the commercial relationship runs directly between you and the operator.

This separation is deliberate. Keeping payments direct means no intermediary delay, no counter-party risk with Rubberdesk, and a clean commercial relationship between you and the operator from day one. Operators invoice monthly and accept standard payment methods — direct debit, bank transfer, or card.

Some operators charge a one-off setup fee, covering initial configuration, access passes and IT setup.

Managed offices sit differently: fit-out costs are amortised into the monthly rate rather than charged upfront, so the equivalent of a setup fee is already priced in.

Monthly in advance is standard for serviced and coworking. Managed offices sometimes move to quarterly invoicing. Annual payment isn't common but can exist in some markets (in the Middle East).

Payment terms are usually non-negotiable below a certain deal size. For larger occupiers (50+ desks), quarterly invoicing becomes standard, and bespoke arrangements (annual in advance with a discount, staggered payments during a growth phase) are possible. Rubberdesk's brokers can flag which operators have flexibility on billing cycles if cashflow timing matters to you.

Yes, if you have flexible office space to rent — whether you're a serviced office operator, a managed office provider, or a business with spare desks or a spare office. Listing is free, and Rubberdesk only charges a fee when a deal completes.

Related: List a space Fees and Membership Agreement

Listing is free.

Rubberdesk works on a success-based model: our fee is 10% of the total contract value over the first 12 months, payable when a deal completes. All fees are already included in the prices shown on the site — they're not added on top.

Related: Membership agreement

To list your office space on Rubberdesk, firstly create an account here.

Then we'll guide you through the steps to create a listing for your office, including uploading photos, adding a description, details, amenities and rates. You can edit or cancel your listings on Rubberdesk any time.

If you need help to update your listings or have a lot of listings to add, you can email [email protected] and our team will upload them on your behalf.

Related: Membership agreement | List office space

Start by getting a free "Instant Quote" on Rubberdesk. Tell us your location, team size and budget - it takes our AI just 20 seconds to produce a bespoke shortlist as a starting point. A Rubberdesk broker will review this with you and discuss your requirements, book tours, and guide you through comparing and negotiating — at no cost to you.

You can search the platform directly for an instant sense of what's available, request a tour, or submit an enquiry and let a broker do the work. Most occupiers do both. Our team of broker's cut through the noise — filtering out options that look right online but fail on tour, flagging buildings with known issues, and benchmarking pricing against the broader market.

Once you've chosen a shortlist, we arrange tours, provide comparison documents and negotiate on your behalf before you sign.

Most serviced offices can be ready to occupy within 24 to 48 hours of signing the licence agreement. For managed offices involving custom fit-out, expect 6 to 12 weeks from signing to move-in. This contrasts sharply with traditional leases, which typically take 3 to 6 months to negotiate and fit out.

Serviced offices are ready by design — furnished, wired, connected and staffed — so the hold-up is usually paperwork rather than logistics. A short licence agreement, a security deposit, an agreed move-in date, and you're working. Managed offices take longer because the fit-out is bespoke: the operator builds out the space to your specification, which adds weeks but means you get a private floor that looks like your own office. If speed is critical, tell your broker up front — some operators keep pre-fitted suites aside for fast move-ins.

No. Tours are free and carry no obligation. Occupiers tour an average of 3 shortlisted offices before making a decision. Operators expect this, and there's no pressure to sign on the day.

A good tour is a fact-finding exercise, not a sales meeting. Your broker will have pre-briefed the operator on your requirements, so the walkthrough should feel informative rather than pitched. After tours, Rubberdesk provides a written comparison — rates, terms, meeting room allowances, break clauses, fit-out condition — so you can decide in your own time. Many clients go back to a shortlisted operator for a second visit with different stakeholders before committing.

Your Rubberdesk Broker will discuss the options and can add more to your shortlist until you find the right space.

Yes. Negotiation is where Rubberdesk adds the most value. Our brokers know current market rates by submarket and office size, see hundreds of deals a month, and know which operators are flexible on what. Typical wins include rent-free periods, reduced security deposits, and added services at no extra cost.

Published rates are a starting point, not a settled price. On any given deal, operators will flex on different levers depending on their occupancy, the office size, the length of commitment and how soon your can start.

A broker who only sees one or two deals a year has no benchmark; we see enough flow to know when a quoted rate is keen, fair or stretched. We also handle the awkward parts of the conversation — pushing on price and terms is our job, not yours.

Four things: headcount (current and 12-month expected), preferred location or locations, quality of space and amenities required, and your ideal move-in date.

That's enough to produce a meaningful shortlist. Additional detail on office style, amenities and term length will sharpen it further.

The more you tell us, the better the shortlist. Useful extras include:

• Whether you need a dedicated meeting room or executive office
• Any industry requirements (security or compliance needs)
• Must-have amenities (end-of-trip facilities, outdoor space, 24/7 access)
• Commute considerations for your team
• Any specific buildings or operators you've already seen

If you're not sure what you need, a call with one of our brokers usually surfaces the answer faster than an online form.

Yes. Serviced offices come fully furnished with desks, chairs, meeting tables and storage as standard. Fit-out is designed to be ready-to-work from day one. Some operators offer furniture upgrades or swaps on request, and unfurnished space is occasionally available at a small discount.

The standard kit in a typical 6-desk serviced office might include 6 desks, 6 ergonomic chairs, pedestal storage, lockable cabinets, a round meeting table with seating, whiteboard, monitor arms or screens (some operators), and a standard Ethernet + Wi-Fi setup. If you need something specific — sit-stand desks, brand-matched chairs, custom storage — tell your broker up front.

Yes, within reason and depending on the operator. Serviced offices often allow interior branding — wall vinyls, reception logos, framed artwork — and most operators add your company name to the building directory and office door. Exterior signage and permanent fixtures are usually not permitted.

For teams that want a branded space, managed offices are the right fit. These are fitted out to your specification and branded throughout, giving you the look and feel of your own office within a flexible commercial arrangement. If you want a branded experience on a serviced office budget, pick an operator that offers larger private suites (6+ desks) in buildings where whole-suite customisation is expected.

Most serviced offices provide business-grade internet — typically 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps shared, with the ability to upgrade to a dedicated symmetrical connection. Operators include Wi-Fi and Ethernet access in the monthly rate; dedicated bandwidth is usually an additional fee.

Shared connections are fine for most teams doing standard productivity and video calls. Dedicated connections matter if you run heavy file transfers, host clients for video-dependent sessions, or have security requirements that prohibit shared networks. If internet performance is mission-critical, request a speed test report for any shortlisted building — a reputable operator will provide one. Some operators will also support bring-your-own ISP arrangements for enterprise occupiers.

Yes. Serviced and managed offices accommodate tenant-supplied IT and phone equipment. You can bring your own laptops, phone system (VoIP or desk phones), printers, monitors, networking hardware and servers within reasonable limits. Connect to the building's infrastructure via Ethernet or Wi-Fi, or arrange a dedicated connection.

The main constraints are physical space, power capacity for server-grade equipment, and any cooling requirements. For most professional services, tech, legal and creative teams, standard office-grade IT fits within the building's existing provision. If you run on-premise servers or specialist hardware, flag this in your brief so your broker can filter buildings with the right infrastructure.

Standard amenities include a reception area, kitchen or pantry, meeting rooms available to book, breakout spaces, printing facilities and 24/7 access. Premium buildings add end-of-trip facilities (showers, bike storage, lockers), wellness rooms, rooftop or outdoor space, event venues and on-site cafés.

Amenity packages vary significantly by operator brand and building tier. WeWork and Industrious tend toward event-led community amenities. Boutique operators like The Work Project and Huckletree often emphasise design and premium coffee. Independents can offer anything from spartan to spectacular. Match the amenity package to what your team will actually use — paying a premium for an event space you never book is wasted spend.

A serviced office is a fully furnished, ready-to-use private office rented on a short-term licence — typically from 1 to 36 months. The monthly price includes rent, utilities, internet, cleaning, building access and furniture. You move in and start working the same day.

Serviced offices are run by operators like Workspace 365, Fora, WorkClub, Uncommon, Orega and hundreds of independent providers. You pay a single monthly rate per desk, with meeting rooms and additional services either included or charged per-use. Serviced is the most common entry point to flexible office space, especially for teams of 2 to 30 people. The trade-off: you're one of many tenants in the building and the operator controls the branding and fit-out.

A managed office is a private, self-contained office fitted out and operated by a third party on behalf of a landlord, then licensed to a single occupier. It feels like your own office — your branding, your layout, your culture — but with the cost certainty and flexibility of a serviced arrangement.

Managed offices have grown rapidly, particularly in London where Q4 2025 data showed available managed space expanded 5.5% quarter-on-quarter as landlords convert traditional leased stock. They suit teams of roughly 15 to 150 people who want privacy and brand identity without a conventional lease. Pricing is typically higher per desk than serviced, but you get a full floor or suite to yourselves. In London, East London's managed offices command a 58% premium over serviced in that region — a fair reflection of occupier willingness to pay for bespoke space.

Coworking tends to be an umbrella term for the Flexible office market.

Specifically Coworking is shared workspace where individuals and teams rent desks by the day, week or month in a communal environment. It suits freelancers, solo founders and small teams who want flexibility, networking and low commitment — without the cost of a full private office.

Coworking memberships typically include hot-desking rights, meeting room credits, printing, internet and community access. Dedicated desks (yours permanently) sit at a higher price point than hot desks (any available seat). Many coworking operators also offer private offices within their buildings — giving you the community benefits with four walls of your own. For teams of 5 or more, a private office is usually better value per person than individual coworking memberships.

Coworking is shared, flexible, and priced per person. Serviced offices are private rooms within a serviced building, priced per desk and fully inclusive. Managed offices are entire private floors or suites, custom-branded and fitted out for one occupier. Commitment, privacy and cost all step up in that order.

A simple way to think about it: coworking is a hotel lobby, serviced is a hotel room, managed is a serviced apartment. All three are flexible — the question is how much privacy, control and identity you want, and how many people you're housing. Most 1–5 person teams start in coworking or a small serviced office. Teams of 5–20 tend toward serviced private offices. Teams of 20+ increasingly look at managed, especially in London where the supply is growing.

A sublease is an arrangement where a company rents out part of its own leased office — usually because they've grown into less space than they hold, or are downsizing. Sublet terms match the head lease, so agreements can run anywhere from a few months to several years.

Subleases are the hidden layer of the flexible office market. They're rarely listed on operator websites. A sublet office can deliver better value per desk than a comparable lease, because the sublessor is typically just trying to offset costs. The trade-off is reduced flexibility — you inherit the fit-out, the existing lease terms and often less capacity to scale.

"Flexible office" is the umbrella term for any workspace rented on a short-term, inclusive basis without a traditional commercial lease. It covers serviced offices, managed offices, coworking and sublet space. Typical commitments range from month-to-month to 36 months — far shorter than the 5+ year conventional lease standard.

The flexible office sector exists to solve a specific problem: conventional leases don't suit businesses whose size changes. Flex lets you rent space that's already fitted out, already connected, and already running — paying a single monthly fee with no capex and no long-term exposure. For businesses navigating hybrid work, growth, or uncertainty, flexible offices have moved from niche to mainstream. The global operator base now includes hundreds of brands across thousands of buildings.

You can view all availabilty and pricing. Just search by location on Rubberdesk.com.

In Australia, the Q4 2025 national median serviced desk rate is $683 per person per month + GST. In Greater London, it's £610 per person per month + VAT. Rates vary sharply by submarket — from $436 in Perth's Osborne Park to $1,000 in the Sydney CBD, and £209 in Lewisham up to £950+ in Mayfair.

Rates depend on three main factors: city, submarket within that city, and office size. Smaller offices (1–4 people) often carry a higher per-desk rate than mid-size offices (11–15 people) because of fixed setup costs. Central CBD locations carry a premium of 30–45% over suburban alternatives.

Rubberdesk publishes quarterly market reports with submarket-level detail, and for specific quotes it's faster to send through a brief and get pricing back within hours.

A standard serviced office rate includes furnished workspace, business-grade internet, utilities, cleaning, kitchen access, a business address, reception and building security. Most operators also include a monthly allowance of meeting room hours, printing and coffee.

Inclusions vary by operator. Most bundle a set meeting room credit, printing and event space access. Independents and boutique operators often include more — some throw in catered breakfasts, gym discounts, or unlimited meeting rooms. What's usually extra: mail handling services, dedicated phone lines, premium meeting rooms, additional access hours beyond the standard, and parking. Your broker will flag any materially different exclusions in the shortlist so you're comparing like with like.

Serviced offices are priced by standard occupancy — the capacity the room is built for — not by how many people actually sit there. You typically pay for the room, not the headcount. This means you can leave desks empty without discount, but you can also hire into the space without a price increase.

This is one of the most common points of confusion. A 6-desk office quoted at $750 per desk per month costs $4,500 per month, regardless of whether you have 3, 4 or 6 people in it. The upside is predictable cost and no renegotiation as you hire. The downside: if you've over-sized the office, you're paying for capacity you don't use. This is why right-sizing the office to your 12-month headcount — not your current one, not your end-of-year dream — is the core of a good brief.

No hidden costs, but several common line items sit outside the monthly rate:

• Security deposit — typically 2 months' rent (sometimes none)
• Setup fee — one-off
• Meeting rooms — beyond your included allowance
• Dedicated phone lines — if you want one
• Reinstatement — restoring the space if you've customised it

All of these are disclosed up front. Transparency on total cost of occupancy is a core part of a broker's job. Rubberdesk's comparison documents list the monthly rate alongside every fee, charge and inclusion, so you're comparing the full number, not just the headline. In our experience, the difference between the cheapest headline rate and the cheapest total cost can be 10–20% — which is why shopping on headline price alone is a mistake.

Yes. While every operator and building is different and each have their own model, published rates are rarely final. Negotiation might deliver rent-free periods (1–3 months on a 12-month deal), reduced setup fees, meeting room allowances, or added services. Cash discounts off the headline rate are harder to secure than these "soft" wins but are achievable in softer markets.

How much you can negotiate depends on occupancy in the specific building, how soon you can move in, and how long a commitment you can offer. A 24-month commitment on a building at 70% occupancy is where operators get generous. A month-to-month ask on a building at 95% occupancy is where they don't. Rubberdesk brokers know current occupancy levels across the market and time the conversation accordingly.

No. Sales Tax is not included in the listed prices.

For most commercial occupiers, Sales Tax, GST and VAT are reclaimable, so the exclusive rate is the one that matters for budgeting. If you're not GST/VAT-registered (e.g. some sole traders, certain non-profits, or foreign companies without a local registration), you'll need to factor the tax into your total cost.