10 Questions to ask when renting office space

When you’re searching for a new office space, especially if it’s for the first time, it’s useful to have lots of questions ready to ask the landlord. This will ensure that you will not be surprised by charges you hadn’t thought of or run the risk of finding out too late that amenities you assumed would be part of the deal aren’t included. 

As part of our renting office space tips we’ve put together 10 questions to ask when renting office space for the first time. 

1 How much is the rent and when do I have to pay it? 

It seems such an obvious question, but you need to know how much you owe and when you’ll need to pay it, otherwise you won’t be able to budget properly. 

2 How much is the deposit? 

It is standard practice to ask tenants to pay a deposit, so you need to know how much that will be in case it has a bearing on whether or not you can afford to take the office space. 

3 What’s included in the monthly rent? 

Serviced office spaces usually include a lot of utilities and amenities in the monthly rental costs, e.g. furniture, WiFi, utilities, cleaning and maintenance. 

4 What’s not included in the monthly rent? 

It’s almost as important to find out what isn’t included in the rent as this will have a bearing on your budget. 

5 What’s the car parking situation? 

Some office buildings have limited parking spaces, and some don’t have any at all. If you’re hoping to drive to the office, it’s vital to know whether or not you’ll have free parking on site. 

6 How easy is it to get to the office by public transport? 

If you aren’t being offered a parking spot, you’ll have to find alternative ways of getting there, so you need to know that it’s accessible via the public transport network. 

7 Who is responsible for repairs and maintenance?

In serviced office spaces, repairs and maintenance are all dealt with by the landlord company, but it’s a good idea to find out if you might have any responsibilities the landlord will not cover. 

8 What kind of insurance is included in the rent? 

Check what your responsibilities are when it comes to insurance to ensure you have everything adequately covered, either under the landlord’s insurance or your own.

9 What are the payment terms? 

It is likely that the landlord will prefer you to pay by standing order or direct debit on a certain day, but there may be other payment terms available that suit your company better. 

10 What if I need to break the lease early? 

The world of business can be unpredictable, so it may be a good idea to know what your options are if you need to give up the office unexpectedly. With serviced office spaces, it’s generally just a month’s notice.