How UK Companies Can Rent Office Space in the U.S.: A Step-by-Step Playbook

Expanding into the U.S. is an exciting milestone, but once the decision has been made, many UK businesses quickly discover that renting office space in the U.S. is very different from leasing an office at home. The sequence matters. Landlords expect different documentation, lease negotiations move at a different pace and security requirements can be more demanding for businesses without an established U.S. presence.

Getting those steps in the right order can make the difference between securing the right office on schedule and facing costly delays. This playbook walks through the entire process, from setting up your U.S. entity to negotiating your lease, highlighting the key differences UK businesses should expect at every stage.

• How to rent office space in the U.S.: the sequence
• Step 1: Entity setup and tax registration
• Step 2: market and city selection
• Step 3: search, tour and negotiate
• Step 4: deposits, guarantees and creditworthiness
• Renting U.S. office space with Hubble

Key takeaways

• Set up your U.S. entity before beginning serious lease negotiations.
• Expect different leasing norms around deposits, guarantees, broker representation and lease structures.
• Follow a clear sequence: entity setup, market selection, office search, LOI, lease execution, build-out and move-in.
• Prepare financial documentation early if your business has no U.S. credit history.
• Working with a dedicated tenant representative can simplify the process and help you negotiate more effectively.

How to rent office space in the U.S.: The sequence

Renting office space in the U.S. typically takes between three and six months from deciding on a market to receiving the keys. The exact timeline depends on your chosen city, office size and whether the space requires any build-out, but the overall sequence remains largely the same.

Many UK businesses make the mistake of starting with office tours. In reality, landlords often expect you to have established your U.S. legal entity before entering meaningful lease discussions. Following the right order helps avoid unnecessary delays, improves your negotiating position and ensures you’re ready to move quickly when the right space becomes available.

Typical timeline

While some companies move much faster into fitted offices, allowing three to six months provides enough flexibility for negotiations, legal review and any required fit-out work.

UK vs. U.S. leasing: key differences

Understanding these differences early makes every subsequent stage significantly easier.

Step 1: Entity setup and tax registration

Before seriously engaging landlords, establish your U.S. business entity.

Most UK companies expanding into the U.S. operate through either a subsidiary or a branch office. The right structure depends on your legal, operational and tax requirements, so this decision should be made alongside specialist legal and accounting advisers rather than during the office search itself.

From a leasing perspective, landlords generally expect prospective tenants to demonstrate that they’re legally able to enter into a commercial lease. Waiting until you’ve found an office before beginning the incorporation process can introduce unnecessary delays and weaken your negotiating position.

Although requirements vary by landlord and state, you’ll commonly be asked to provide:

• Employer Identification Number (EIN)
• Certificate of Good Standing
• State formation documents
• Registered agent details
• Evidence that the lease signatory has authority to bind the company

If your business is newly established in the U.S., landlords may also request financial information relating to the UK parent company, particularly if they’ll be assessing your ability to meet future lease obligations.

This is also an appropriate stage to establish practical operational requirements that sit alongside your office search, including banking, insurance, payroll and local professional advisers. While these aren’t strictly part of the leasing process, progressing them in parallel helps ensure your U.S. launch stays on schedule.

Rather than treating entity formation as an administrative task, think of it as the foundation that allows every subsequent step to move more smoothly.

Step 2: Market and city selection

Once your U.S. entity is underway, attention turns to choosing the right market.

Office costs naturally influence the decision, but they should rarely be the only factor. The best location balances access to customers, talent availability, operating costs, transport links and your long-term growth plans.

An office space in New York City, for example, offers unparalleled access to finance, professional services and enterprise customers, but it also operates within one of the world’s most competitive office markets. Austin has become a hub for technology companies seeking engineering talent and a thriving startup ecosystem, while Miami continues to attract businesses looking to strengthen their presence across North America and Latin America.

Rather than comparing cities on rental costs alone, think about where you’ll be hiring over the next three to five years, how important it is to be close to customers or investors and whether your employees are more likely to commute by public transport or car. You should also consider your future space requirements and whether a fitted office would allow you to get up and running faster than a space requiring a full build-out.

Once you’ve narrowed down your shortlist, focus on neighbourhoods that support those priorities. The right office isn’t necessarily the one with the lowest rent. It’s the one that gives your business the best platform for attracting talent, serving customers and growing over the long term.

Step 3: Search, tour and negotiate

With your U.S. entity in place and your target market selected, you can begin the office search in earnest.

One of the biggest differences UK companies encounter is how broker representation works. In the UK, businesses often interact directly with letting agents marketing a property. In the U.S., it’s common practice for tenants to appoint their own representative broker, known as a tenant rep, who works exclusively in the tenant’s interests throughout the search and negotiation process.

Tenant rep vs. listing broker

A listing broker represents the landlord. Their objective is to secure the best possible outcome for the building owner.

A tenant representative works on your behalf. They identify suitable offices across multiple buildings, arrange tours, benchmark pricing, negotiate commercial terms and help coordinate the leasing process from start to finish.

For overseas businesses, this support is particularly valuable. Beyond identifying suitable space, a tenant rep provides local market knowledge, coordinates site visits across time zones and helps interpret leasing norms that may differ significantly from those in the UK. Importantly, tenant representation is typically compensated through the leasing transaction rather than directly by the tenant, making it an accessible option for businesses entering an unfamiliar market.

LOI and lease negotiation: where UK norms diverge

Once you’ve shortlisted a preferred office, negotiations generally begin with a Letter of Intent (LOI).

For UK readers, the closest equivalent is Heads of Terms. However, U.S. LOIs often establish more of the commercial terms before the lease is drafted, making careful review at this stage particularly important.

The LOI typically covers the key commercial terms, including the base rent, lease term, annual rent escalations, security deposit, Tenant Improvement (TI) allowance, any rent-free period, renewal or expansion rights, the proposed move-in date and any restoration obligations at lease expiry. Although the lease remains the binding legal document, agreeing these points early creates a smoother drafting process and reduces the likelihood of significant issues emerging later.

As you compare multiple buildings, look beyond headline rental rates. Consider the total occupancy cost, the flexibility to accommodate future growth, the quality of the building and its amenities, how responsive the landlord has been throughout negotiations and how much work the space will require before your team can move in.

Step 4: Deposits, guarantees and creditworthiness

For many UK businesses, this is where the U.S. leasing process differs most noticeably from home.

Even well-established companies with strong financial performance may have little or no U.S. credit history. From a landlord’s perspective, that introduces additional risk, which often translates into higher security requirements than a comparable UK tenant might expect.

It’s not unusual for landlords to request additional security before approving a lease for a newly established U.S. entity. That might take the form of a larger cash security deposit, a parent company guarantee, a letter of credit, several months’ rent paid in advance or, in some cases, a personal guarantee for very early-stage businesses. The exact requirement will depend on the landlord, the strength of the UK parent company, the lease length and the tenant’s overall financial profile.

Fortunately, there are ways to strengthen your position during negotiations. Providing audited UK accounts, demonstrating a strong trading history and offering a parent company guarantee can all help reassure landlords and, in some cases, reduce the level of security requested.

It’s also worth discussing these issues early in the process. Waiting until the lease is being finalised can lead to unnecessary delays and reduce your negotiating leverage if additional security is requested at the last minute.

Common pitfalls UK companies underestimate

While every expansion is different, several issues arise repeatedly for first-time entrants into the U.S. office market:

• Beginning office tours before establishing a U.S. entity.
• Assuming security deposits will mirror UK market expectations.
• Overlooking NNN expense pass-throughs when comparing occupancy costs.
• Failing to understand broker representation and relying solely on listing brokers.
• Leaving state registrations and administrative requirements until lease negotiations have begun.
• Underestimating the time required for build-out, furniture procurement and IT installation.
• Comparing offices based only on asking rent rather than total occupancy costs and long-term flexibility.

Avoiding these mistakes also creates a more efficient search process and puts you in a stronger position when negotiating with landlords.

Renting U.S. office space with Hubble

For UK businesses expanding overseas, the challenge isn’t simply finding available office space. It’s understanding how a different market operates and having trusted local support throughout the process.

Our advisor service is designed specifically to remove that friction. Rather than navigating unfamiliar leasing practices alone, you’ll work with U.S.-based advisors who understand local market dynamics and manage the search on your behalf. They help identify suitable offices, arrange tours, coordinate with landlords, benchmark options and negotiate commercial terms, providing the same level of guidance many UK businesses would expect from a trusted property advisor at home.

For businesses that prefer to explore the market independently before speaking with an advisor, our U.S. platform also makes it easy to compare availability and pricing across major office markets, helping you build an initial shortlist before engaging with an expert.

Whether you’re opening your first U.S. office or expanding an existing footprint, following the right sequence (entity setup, market selection, office search, negotiation and lease execution) helps reduce delays, avoid unnecessary costs and gives your business the best possible foundation for long-term success.

Ready to start your search? Browse private office space in your chosen U.S. city and connect with a Hubble advisor to find the right workspace for your U.S. expansion.