What to Know Before Renting an Office Space

What to Know Before Renting an Office Space

Some Useful Tips for Renting an Office

An office represents the face and identity of a company, reflecting its scale and professionalism. Therefore, the process of finding the right office space can be quite challenging.
With current rental prices decreasing, businesses are encouraged to secure an office early — and ideally, with a larger area to accommodate future growth.

1. Location

The office location should be convenient for business operations, brand visibility, and client interactions.
An ideal location is clean, well-lit, surrounded by greenery, and offers pleasant surroundings with easy access to transportation.

In addition, the nearby environment and supporting amenities — such as restaurants, cafés, and entertainment services — are also important factors to consider.
A good office location makes recruitment easier, as most employees prefer workplaces close to home and not too far from the city center.

2. Office Space Area

This refers to the actual usable area, excluding hallways, restrooms, elevators, and staircases.
On average, each employee requires about 5 square meters of workspace, while the ideal range is 8–12 square meters per person.

In some premium office buildings with a strong brand reputation or prime locations, landlords may add 10–20% of the shared area (such as lobbies and corridors) to the total rental area.

3. Service Charges

Service fees depend on the building grade — the higher the grade, the higher the cost.

• Grade A: from US$5.5 to US$6.5/m²/month

• Grade B: from US$4 to US$5/m²/month

• Grade C: from US$2 to US$3/m²/month or lower

4. Building Insurance

All rental buildings are required to have building insurance, which is covered by the landlord.
However, tenants can still purchase additional insurance for their office in special cases, depending on business needs.

5. Building Orientation

Many businesses — especially local companies — consider feng shui principles important when choosing an office, often selecting the direction based on the age or zodiac of the company’s legal representative.
In contrast, foreign companies typically pay little attention to this factor.

6. Hire an Interior Design Company for Consultation

It’s advisable to hire an interior design firm or consult architects when planning your office layout.
Professionals can accurately assess space requirements and furniture arrangements to optimize functionality and workflow.

Factors such as walls, pillars, glass partitions, and lighting design may or may not fit your company’s operations — and having expert input can help you avoid costly design mistakes or layout inefficiencies

7. Working Hours

Some landlords or building management teams have specific regulations regarding office working hours.
Therefore, you should negotiate these terms carefully in the contract — including any overtime or after-hours usage.
It’s also important to estimate potential extra working hours in advance and discuss associated fees with the landlord to avoid unexpected costs later.

8. Contract Negotiation

If you lack experience in office search and lease negotiations, it’s best to use the services of a professional leasing agency and have the final contract reviewed by a reputable lawyer before signing.

Typically, in office lease agreements, the rental rate remains fixed for the first 2–3 years of a 5-year contract, and then may increase in subsequent years according to the agreed terms.

9. Other Important Factors

There are also several technical and infrastructure aspects to pay attention to, including:

• Central air conditioning system

• Elevator system

• Window design and ventilation

• Backup power generators

These elements play a crucial role in maintaining a comfortable and efficient working environment.