Introduction
Once you have identified a serviced office that meets your business requirements, the next step is to submit an offer and agree the terms of occupation. Compared with traditional commercial property leasing, securing serviced office space is generally much quicker and involves significantly less legal complexity.
This section explains how the offer process works and what to expect when agreeing terms for serviced office space.
Submitting an Offer for a Serviced Office
Before making an offer on a serviced office, it is advisable to compare pricing and facilities across several office centres in your chosen location. Serviced office prices can vary considerably depending on the building quality, available services, and the flexibility of the licence agreement.
Once you are satisfied that the office space meets your needs and the pricing is competitive within the local market, you can proceed to submit an offer.
Offers are usually submitted in one of the following ways:
- Directly to the serviced office provider
- Through a commercial property broker
- Via a commercial property platform such as MOVEHUT
In many cases, serviced office providers will respond quickly to confirm availability, pricing and proposed licence terms.
1. Negotiating the terms of occupation
Unlike traditional office leases, serviced offices are normally occupied under a licence agreement rather than a lease. This means the legal process is simpler and agreements can often be completed very quickly.
During the negotiation stage, you may wish to discuss:
- Monthly licence fee per desk or office
- Minimum licence period
- Notice period requirements
- Included services and facilities
- Meeting room usage allowances
- IT and connectivity packages
- Additional services such as reception or administrative support
Because serviced offices operate in a competitive market, there may also be opportunities to negotiate incentives such as:
- Rent-free introductory periods
- Additional meeting room credits
- Upgraded internet services
- Flexible expansion options
2. Simpler legal agreements
One of the key advantages of serviced offices is that the legal documentation is typically far simpler than traditional commercial property leases.
Serviced offices usually operate under a short-form licence agreement, which grants permission to occupy the office space without creating a formal tenancy.
Because the agreement is a licence rather than a lease:
- Complex lease negotiations are avoided
- No Schedule of Condition is usually required
- Utility contracts are typically included within the licence
- Business rates and service charges are often bundled into the monthly fee
This streamlined legal process allows businesses to move into serviced office space much faster than traditional leased offices.
3. Licence agreements for serviced offices
The licence agreement acts as the formal contract between the serviced office provider and the business occupying the workspace.
These agreements typically outline:
- The office space allocated
- Monthly licence fees and payment terms
- Services included in the licence
- Notice periods and termination rights
- Rules governing building usage
- Access arrangements and security procedures
Most licence agreements are relatively short documents compared with commercial leases and can often be signed quickly once both parties have agreed the terms.
4. Fast move-in process
Because serviced offices are designed to offer flexible workspace solutions, the time between submitting an offer and moving into the office can be very short.
In many cases, businesses can move into their new office space within a few days of agreeing the licence terms.
This makes serviced offices particularly attractive for:
- Start-up businesses
- Companies relocating quickly
- Businesses expanding into new markets
- Temporary project teams
- Organisations requiring short-term workspace
Summary
Making an offer on a serviced office is generally a straightforward process compared with securing traditional leased office space. Once you have identified a suitable workspace and confirmed that pricing and facilities meet your requirements, an offer can usually be submitted directly to the office provider or through a broker.
Because serviced offices are typically occupied under flexible licence agreements rather than long-term leases, the legal process is simplified and move-in times can be very quick. This flexibility allows businesses to secure professional office space efficiently while maintaining the ability to adapt their workspace requirements as their organisation evolves.
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