Should you choose a serviced office or your own lease?
A serviced office often suits you when you need to be able to grow, shrink or move at shorter notice and want furniture, services and meeting rooms on site. Your own office often suits you when you want control over the premises and how your brand is presented, and have a clear view of your longer-term needs. Compare the total cost and what is included, not just the price.
What is the difference?
In a serviced office you rent workstations, rooms or a separate part of premises that someone else runs. You share the premises with other companies, and furniture, reception and meeting rooms are usually in place.
With your own office you rent an entire set of premises from the landlord, with your own commercial lease. You are then usually responsible yourselves for the fit-out, furniture and services such as cleaning and internet.
How do they differ?
Commitment period
In a serviced office, the notice period depends on the type of agreement you have. If you rent a specific office space, the statutory rules on commercial leases may apply there too. If you only have access to flexible workstations without a specific space of your own, the terms of the agreement usually decide. For your own commercial lease, the notice period is usually at least nine months under the Swedish Land Code (Jordabalken), but it can be longer depending on what you have agreed. This applies both to leases that run for an indefinite period and to fixed-term leases longer than nine months. A fixed-term lease is extended if notice is not given in time. Read more about how to terminate a commercial lease.
What is included
In a serviced office, furniture, reception and meeting rooms are often included, but what the price covers varies. With your own office you pay rent for the premises and are usually responsible for the rest yourselves.
Control over the premises
In your own office you can shape the layout and furnishings around the way you work, as far as the lease allows. In a serviced office, the operator manages the shared areas.
Brand
In your own office you have more scope to show your brand in the entrance, signage and interior. In a serviced office you share the entrance and reception with other companies.
Cost
Which works out cheapest depends on the size of your team, how long you stay and what is included. Compare the total cost over the whole period you expect to stay, not just the price per workstation or per square metre.
When does a serviced office suit you better?
- When you do not know how large your team will be in one or two years.
- When you need premises quickly or for a limited time, for example while you wait for new premises.
- When you want someone else to take care of services, furniture and meeting rooms.
When does your own office suit you better?
- When you have a clear view of your longer-term needs.
- When you want to shape the premises around your way of working and your brand.
- When you need space that a serviced office does not have, for example a warehouse or a shop.
How can Locality help?
If you are leaning towards your own office, we help you find the premises. We start with a needs assessment covering your organisation’s goals, ways of working, capacity, finances and timetable. These are the same questions that decide the choice between a serviced office and your own office. If you want to compare locations, you can read about offices in different parts of Stockholm.
If you need legal help, we work with the most experienced lawyers in the industry, who have expertise in your particular issue.
Frequently asked questions
- What should we ask the serviced office operator before we sign?
- How long you are committing for, what notice period applies and how quickly you can change the number of workstations. Also ask what is included in the price, for example furniture, reception, internet, cleaning and meeting rooms, and what costs extra.