Office Space FAQs
Flexible Office Space FAQs
Allsop Flex listings are flexible workspaces, or ‘flexispace’ that are available to rent. They are listings which offer workspaces that operate outside of the typical leasing norms. This covers office space with lease flexibility in the terms & conditions, hot desks, and collaborative co-working spaces and more. Please see the Glossary for in-depth explanations of all terminologies.
While traditional commercial leases require a 5 year minimum term, flexispace leases require a smaller commitment and often monthly rolling contracts.
Yes, it can also be called Coworking spaces, they are shared office space, where businesses use communal features, such as café, break out areas, and plug-and-play setups.
Flexispace leases do cover options where multiple businesses work in the same space and share facilities. However, not every listing will be set up this way, and may refer to the contract terms instead.
For example, if a business operates a hybrid working model, and only requires private office space for the business hours on Tuesday-Thursday – this would still fall under Allsop Flex.
Hot desking is where there is no assigned seating, but rather an employee can enter a flexispace and choose an empty desk to work from for the day. It provides an alternative to a conventional office set-up and geared towards businesses operating on a hybrid basis.
Allsop have defined these characteristics based on properties that have open plan designs to encourage collaboration, focus zones with sound insulation and privacy, adaptable workstations for no fuss connectivity and shared facilities. Along with amenable contracts, lease lengths, employee count allowing for growth and/or downsizing, days required and locations.
Flexispaces can make a very effective cost cutting strategy, and the Allsop team are here to ensure that you get the best deal possible. By only renting the space your business needs, for the time that it needs will drive up financial efficiency. Ensuring that the flexispace you choose caters to your employee’s needs, supporting wellbeing, enhancing productivity, and ensuring that you are benefiting from value for money are all advantages of Allsop Flex.
Allsop Flex covers a large range of budgets to suit businesses of all sizes and we work with you to find the size, price and location of the space you need.
Office Space General FAQs
This is a charge by the Landlord for collectively running the building on behalf of the Tenants.
The Service Charge is typically charged quarterly in advance (in the same way rent is). The quarterly charge is based on the annual forecasted budget with any adjustments below or above budget made at the end of the accounting year.
Included in the Service Charge will be a number of costs, which can include but not limited to: security/building reception, cleaning of common areas, lighting and power to common areas, lift maintenance, fire alarm maintenance, pest control, periodic redecorations – both inside and out, building repairs and typically will include a management charge.
The cost of the Service Charge will depend greatly upon the size and the age of the property. Large, new office buildings benefit from both economies of scale and new mechanical and electrical services, which require little maintenance. Older buildings with tired plant require more maintenance and repairs and thus are more costly. Small properties lack the economy of scale of larger buildings. The most singular most expensive item on a Service Charge budget is typically security. If an office building has a manned reception, either during offices hours, or 24/7, this is typically the largest cost on the budget.
Service Charge rates per square foot can range from anything from £13.00 per sq ft up to £20.00 per sq ft.
To draft, negotiate and agree a Lease and ancillary documentation should take approximately six to eight weeks.
In addition to the Lease, it is possible that an Agreement for Lease, License to Alter and Rent Deposit Deed also need to be drafted and agreed. The quickest transactions tend to be where Landlord and Tenant deal direct with no third party. In the event of an Assignment or a Sub-Letting, a Superior Landlords consent is required. This can add delays.
The type and level of surety required on a Lease is entirely at the Landlord’s discretion. It is typical for a Landlord to request three years audited accounts from the occupier and they will then base their decision on these accounts and the length of time the Tenant has been trading for. Rent Deposits can range from amounts equivalent to three to 12 months’ rent and are likely to attract VAT on top. In most instances six month deposits are common, although the Landlord and their advisors will have some regard to the industry accounting benchmark.
An office fit-out can take anything from a couple of weeks up to 12 months, depending on the amount of work required and the quantity of space taken.
However, most office fit-outs take between 8 and 12 weeks. It is important to be aware that telecom lines and bespoke office furniture often have long lead in times.
Many Landlords will often work with a service provider to deliver fibre connectivity to the floor for an additional cost but reducing the need for additional wayleave agreements.
Business Rates are a form of Council Tax for commercial property and are administered by the Local Authority. The “ratable value” of a property is assessed by the Government’s Valuation office and are based on historical rental values of the property.
Ratable values are typically reassessed every five years and a multiplier – known as the Uniform Business Rate – is applied to the ratable value which generates the annual tax applied to the property.
Business Rates payable per sq ft in Central London can range from less than £10.00 per sq ft to in excess of £40.00 per sq ft in expensive locations, such as Mayfair in the West End and skyscrapers in The City.
Landlords have the opportunity to elect to charge VAT on their building. By electing the property for VAT, Landlords are able to reclaim VAT on building and refurbishment works, but are also then forced to charge VAT on Rent and Service Charge.
The vast majority of properties are elected for VAT. However, a small proportion of properties in the City of London are not VAT elected. This is historically due to traditional financial and insurance occupiers being unable to reclaim VAT or only having a partial VAT recovery.
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is payable on commercial leases. HMRC have an easy-to-use SDLT calculator on their website. One of our leasing team will be happy to help you with this process.
It is common practice for a landlord to insure the building and then to be reimbursed by the Tenant for the cost of the insurance. Landlords will typically charge Building Insurance separately to Service Charge.
Building Insurance covers the fabric of the building, but not any occupiers contents, which would need to be insured separately.