You're ready to get an office in London. You've seen the rates. But what do those numbers really mean, and what might be hiding beneath the headline figure? To make a smart decision, you need to know what’s included, what isn’t, and how the real cost stacks up for different office types.

What’s Usually Included and What’s Not

Here are the main cost components for renting in London, with what to expect and questions to ask.

Base Rent
This is the core cost. For traditional leases, it’s usually quoted as price per square foot per year. For serviced, managed, or coworking offices, it’s often per desk per month. Location matters big time, central areas like Mayfair, the City, or Soho will have much higher rents.

Service Charges
Covers shared building upkeep: cleaning of common areas, lifts, security, building maintenance, possibly heating/cooling in shared spaces. In a serviced office, these are often bundled in. With a leased space, you’ll get a separate bill.

Business Rates
Think of this as the commercial property tax for offices. It’s set by the local council, based on the rateable value of the premises. These can add 30-60% (or more) on top of your base rent, especially in prime Central London zones. Also, revaluations (e.g. coming in 2026) can significantly increase this cost.

Utilities & Internet
Electricity, water, heating, cooling/air-con, WiFi/data. Sometimes included in serviced or managed spaces, but with a traditional lease you’ll usually pay these separately. Also watch out for high usage/peak rate charges.

Insurance & Compliance
Landlords usually cover building or structural insurance. You’re likely to need your own contents, public liability, possibly employer liability. Also compliance costs: fire safety, safety certificates, sometimes upgrades for building regulations.

Hidden Costs/Extras

• Fit-out, furniture, partitioning, branding
  
  
• Deposits/advance rents
  
  
• Meeting rooms, if your package limits free hours
  
  
• Maintenance or dilapidation charges when you leave
  
  
• Cleaning or security beyond what’s “normal”
  
  
• Upgrades (power capacity, internet, lighting)
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What London Offers: Recent Rates & What You Can Expect

Here’s some research to help you benchmark realistic numbers in 2025 London:

• Serviced office per desk costs in London tend to be £600/month or more for a good quality desk in a serviced office. Prices vary depending on the area.
  
  
• In many central areas, serviced desk rates are between £500-£1,300/month for prime, luxury locations. In less central but still desirable zones, you’ll see lower ends.
  
  
• Traditional headline rents (leased office space) in premium Central London areas have been quoted from £70-£140 per square foot/year. That’s before extra costs.

Example Cost Scenarios

Here are three realistic examples of what total monthly cost might look like for different office types in London when you include extras.

Scenario A: Private Lease (1,500 sq ft, Central-ish London)

• Base Rent: £85/sq ft/year → £127,500/year → ~£10,600/month
  
  
• Service Charge: ~£12/sq ft/year → ~£18,000/year → ~£1,500/month
  
  
• Business Rates: ~£30/sq ft/year → ~£45,000/year → ~£3,750/month
  
  
• Utilities & Internet: ~£1,000/month (depending on usage)
  
  
• Insurance & Miscellaneous/Compliance/Exit Costs: ~£800/month
  
  

≈ Total Monthly Cost: ~£17,650

Scenario B: Serviced Office (20 Desks, East or Shoreditch area)

• Desk Fee (all-inclusive): ~£650/desk/month → £13,000
  
  
• Some meeting room usage not included: +£500/month
  
  
• Extras (insurance contents, small branding, printing): +£300
  
  

≈ Total Monthly Cost: ~£13,800

Scenario C: Coworking/Flexible Membership (10 Desks, Fringe/Tech Hub Area)

• Membership (hot desk): ~£400/desk/month → £4,000
  
  
• Occasional meeting room hire (for clients or team meetings): ~£200/month
  
  
• Supplies/minor extras: ~£100
  
  

≈ Total Monthly Cost: ~£4,300

Common Pain Points & How to Avoid Them

Because many businesses under-budget or aren’t aware of all the moving parts, here are things that often catch them off guard - and what you can do:

• Thinking “inclusive” means everything is included. Always check what’s bundled: sometimes meeting rooms, hours, cleaning etc. have limits or extra costs.
  
  
• Business rate hikes - Keep an eye on upcoming valuations. London revaluation in 2026 is expected to push many rates up, especially in high-demand zones.
  
  
• Service charge volatility - Sometimes cleaning, maintenance, or building services go up. Ask for past years’ service charge statements so you can see trends.
  
  
• Fit-out & exit costs - If you build out or customise, whether you need to hand over space reset or remove, modifications can be costly.
  
  
• Hidden utility & internet costs - High speed or dedicated internet lines cost more. Also lighting, HVAC, or cooling in summer months can spike bills.
  
  

Conclusion

Rent is just the headline. When you factor in service charges, business rates, utilities, insurance and hidden extras, the real cost of an office in London can be very different from what you first expect. The type of office (private lease vs serviced vs coworking) makes a big difference in how many or few of those extras are included.

If you need help mapping out what cost looks realistic for your team size, location, and needs, get in touch with us at Found. We’ll walk through the numbers with you so you can make a decision you feel confident about - not one with any hidden surprises.

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