The cost of living crisis, working from home…there are plenty of reasons why a company may choose to rent a small office space in London. But just because the office is smaller doesn’t mean that finding it is any less stressful.
As seasoned experts in the office space industry, Hubble is here to share the simplest way any business can rent a small office space in London.
- What are the characteristics of a small office rental?
- Various types of small office spaces available
- Where can I find a small office to rent in London?
- How do I find a small office space in London?
- How Hubble can help
What are the characteristics of a small office rental?
Nowadays, there are plenty of flexible workspaces to choose from — and small offices are no different. But before we get into the available options, it’s worth going over their similarities:
1) Privacy
With a small office rental, you can expect a workspace that’s secluded and out of earshot from other companies. This means you’ll have a dedicated office space, rather than desks in a shared coworking area.
2) Fully-furnished
These private spaces are often fully furnished, so there’s no need to invest in tables or new swivel chairs. You can expect a clean space equipped with desks, chairs, and even monitors (depending on the office).
3) Access to amenities and facilities
You may also get to enjoy the building’s broader facilities and amenities, such as breakout space, kitchens, and even on-site gyms.
These will vary depending on the workspace and the rental type, so double-check these before you choose!
Now let’s get into the different types of small office spaces available.
The various types of small offices to rent in London
1) Full-time small offices
A full-time office is a space your team can access every day of the workweek. If you’re a small startup, you can choose an office with a desk for each employee — and you’re sorted!
If you’re a larger company looking to reduce office expenses, a smaller full-time office may also be a no-brainer solution.
Let’s say you survey your team, and discover that Tuesdays and Thursdays are busy office days. It’s not cost-effective to take a larger office just because you’ll over capacity sometimes.
With smaller full-time office, you can rely on the building’s shared coworking areas and breakout spaces on those busier days — at no extra cost!
With every full-time office rental, you can expect to take full advantage of the workspace provider’s amenities, facilities, and membership perks.
All of this is packaged into one all-inclusive monthly fee, making it easy to budget month to month.
2) Part-time offices
A part-time office is a space your team can access for the same 1-3 days per week.
It’s a flexible workspace solution where two businesses collaborate to share an office, renting it for select days each week instead of the full week.
A part-time office solution can save you a significant amount of money on office rent. Just look at us!
After examining our office attendance, we found that Tuesdays and Thursdays were the most popular days, with 60% of employees regularly coming in.
We then decided to rent a part-time office for our team, but only at 60% capacity.
This decision allowed us to save a whopping £129k per year on the cost of a full-time office. On other weekdays, our teams have access to on-demand workspaces, allowing them to use coworking spaces, private day offices, and meeting rooms in convenient locations.
3) Day offices
Next, we have day offices. Like full-time or part-time offices, these spaces provide seclusion for confidential work and team-building.
However, the key difference is that they are ‘on-demand,’ allowing you to rent a small office space by the day, whenever and wherever you need.
For example, one week it could be a four-person day office in Fitzrovia to complete a deadline. The next week, it could be a 10-person office in Camden for monthly drinks!
This flexible solution is ideal for remote businesses that want to give their teams the opportunity to bond, connect, and work together. It’s affordable and agile, with no contract required.
With most daily office rental bookings, you can also access additional facilities like free tea and coffee, breakout spaces, and on-site showers — allowing you to reap the benefits of commuting to work.
The key differences between each small office type:
| Full-time offices | Part-time offices | Day offices |
| Workspace strategy Fully office-based / hybrid | Workspace strategy Hybrid | Workspace strategy Hybrid / remote |
| Minimum commitment One month | Minimum commitment One month | Minimum commitment None |
| Deposit Usually 2x rent | Deposit None | Deposit None |
| Cost-consciousness You’ll pay a slight premium on full-time rent in exchange for more flexibility, all-inclusive fees, and no fit-out costs. | Cost-consciousness Renting a space for only 1-3 days per week can lead to substantial cost savings compared to a full-time office. (We saved £129k per year!). | Cost-consciousness You only pay for the space you use, making it easy to budget and save money. |
| When to start looking 3 months ahead of the start date | When to start looking 4 weeks ahead of the start date | When to start looking Up to 24 hours before the booking |
Where can I find a small office to rent in London?
London is a hotspot for small office rentals. Whether it’s full-time office in Farringdon or a part-time office in Piccadilly Circus, you’ll undoubtedly find a workspace that ticks all the boxes.
You just need to know how to find one…
How do I find a small office space in London?
A company can search for and find a small office space in multiple ways — and the method you choose will depend on your specific business needs. Here are the key core methods to consider:
1) Going direct to providers
First, there’s the option of going directly to providers. This involves contacting the workspace provider’s sales teams to discuss small office space options without using an expert to search for you.
This approach lets you research and negotiate on your own. Additionally, if a flexible workspace platform charges brokerage fees, you can save money by managing the entire process yourself.
This approach allows you to develop a strong relationship with the workspace provider. But since you’ll be dealing with a salesperson at each space, rather than an expert in the office landscape, advice will be less specialised.
2) Flexible workspace providers
The second option is finding an office space via a flexible workspace provider.
Flexible workspace providers like Hubble offer solutions that eliminate office management hassles. With them, you can scale your office space as needed, keeping disruptions to a minimum.
Tenants can search for small office spaces online, shortlist options, book viewings, and work with a Tenant Advisor to manage the process.
Providers often have strong relationships with premium brands like WeWork, Huckletree, and Fora, enabling advisors to negotiate the best deals.
How Hubble can help
At Hubble, we help businesses give their teams great places to work. On our easy-to-use platform, you can easily find an office space via our three workspace solutions:
- Full-Time Offices: Our expert advisors can manage your entire search and negotiate the very best rate, thanks to our strong and long-lasting relationships with workspace providers.
- Part-Time Offices: Make substantial savings without losing the magic of in-person working with your very own office for the same 1-3 days per week.
- Hubble On-Demand: Give your team members access to thousands of on-demand workspaces to work and meet, helping you save money and maintain collaboration.
Our flexible workspace platform features 22,000 offices across over 1800 buildings in the UK, so you’re bound to find one that suits your preferences and needs.
With over 25 years of combined experience, our team of experts places a business in a new office every 2.5 hours. For those searching for full-time or part-time rentals, they’ll send you recommendations, organise and attend viewings, and help secure discounts for you.
So, if you’re looking for your next small office and would rather have an expert handle the process, don’t hesitate to contact us!
