Start from area per seat, not rent
Decide how much usable area each seat needs given your layout: open desks, cabins, meeting rooms, a pantry and circulation. That target, multiplied by headcount, gives the area you need before you look at a single building.
Offices are usually quoted on chargeable or super built-up area while your layout works on carpet area, so ask for the loading factor and reduce every option to carpet before comparing. A building with heavy loading costs more for the same number of desks.
The components of the monthly cost
Base rent, quoted per square foot per month on the chargeable area.
Common area maintenance, also per square foot per month, covering the lobby, lifts, chilled water, security and housekeeping of shared spaces.
Car parking, charged per bay per month and often mandatory at a ratio fixed by the landlord.
Electricity — both the fit-out consumption and the air conditioning charge, which in many buildings is billed separately by the hour beyond base hours.
Property tax and insurance where the lease passes them through, and your own housekeeping, pantry, internet and repairs.
One-off costs to amortise
Interiors: partitions, flooring, lighting, HVAC distribution, furniture, cabling and access control. This is usually the largest single number in the project and should be spread over the committed term.
The security deposit, commonly several months of rent, is working capital rather than cost, but it has a carrying cost you should count.
Brokerage, legal fees, stamp duty on the lease deed and registration where applicable.
Reinstatement at exit, if the lease requires the premises to be returned to bare shell.
Putting the number together
Monthly cost per seat equals the total monthly outgo, plus one-off costs divided across the months of the committed term, divided by the number of seats.
Compare that figure against a managed or co-working option, where one per-seat price bundles rent, maintenance, electricity, internet, housekeeping and furniture. Flexible space often looks expensive per seat and is cheaper in total for a short commitment or a team whose size is uncertain.
Lease terms that move the number
Rent-free fit-out period, escalation percentage and cycle, lock-in and exit notice, and whether the escalation applies to maintenance as well as rent.
Base air-conditioning hours and the charge beyond them — for teams working late this can be a large recurring surprise.
The expansion right. If you expect to grow, a right of first refusal on adjacent space is worth more than a small discount on rent.
Common questions
How much area does one seat need?
It depends on your layout and how many cabins and meeting rooms you want. Design the layout for your headcount first and derive the area from it rather than using a market average.
Is co-working cheaper than a private office?
Per seat it usually looks dearer, but it bundles fit-out, furniture, utilities and services and needs no long commitment. For small or uncertain teams the total cost is frequently lower.
What is a loading factor?
The gap between the chargeable area you pay for and the carpet area you can use. Ask for it explicitly; it varies a lot between buildings.
Sources
- The lease deed, the maintenance schedule and the landlord's tariff for parking and after-hours air conditioning
- Carpet, built-up and chargeable area definitions as stated in the lease and the approved plan
Last checked 2026-09-23.