Renting a desk (hyra kontorsplats in Swedish) means paying for one or more workstations in an office that someone else has leased and runs, instead of signing your own commercial lease. It can be a desk in a coworking space, a room in an office hotel or a few desks in another company's office. For a small team it is almost always cheaper than your own office, because you only pay for the desks you use and share the kitchen, meeting rooms and services with others. Here we go through what a desk costs in principle, how to calculate the savings from sharing an office, and what applies if you want to sublet part of your own office.
What does renting a desk involve?
A desk is a workstation with access to what a working office needs: desk and chair, internet, kitchen, toilets and usually meeting rooms. There are a few common forms.
- Hot desk: access to any free desk in an open office, but not your own. Lowest price, suits people who come in a few days a week.
- Fixed desk: your own desk in a shared office that no one else uses. You can leave your screen and papers.
- Private office room: your own lockable room for one or more people, often in an office hotel, with shared common areas.
- Desks at another company: a company with more space than it needs rents out a few desks or a room. Often cheap and personal, but with fewer services.
We compare office hotels, coworking and your own office in more detail in flexible offices vs traditional offices. If you only need a business address and the occasional meeting room, but no workspace, a virtual office is often enough.
What is included in the price?
The price of a desk is usually quoted per desk per month, excluding VAT. Always check what is included, as it varies a lot:
- internet and printing
- cleaning, coffee and fruit
- meeting rooms (free, a number of hours per month, or charged)
- reception, mail handling and the option to register a business address
- 24/7 access or office hours only
- storage and lockable cabinets
Desks in Stockholm: what drives the price?
Stockholm has a large supply of desks and private office rooms, from simple hot desks in the suburbs to fixed desks and rooms in the city centre. The price is driven by the same things as rent for whole premises: location, standard and services. A fixed desk in a central office hotel with reception costs significantly more than a hot desk in a coworking space further out. We look at how rent levels differ across the city in attractive areas for offices in Stockholm.
A private office room in Stockholm is often the best value for teams of two to five who need to take calls in private. For one or two people who mainly need somewhere to sit, a fixed desk or hot desk is often enough.
Why is sharing an office cheaper?
An office has many costs that do not grow with headcount. A kitchen, a meeting room, an entrance, an internet connection and cleaning cost about the same whether three or twelve people use them. When several companies share the same premises, the fixed costs are spread across more people.
The savings come from three places:
- You pay for the space you use. With your own office you pay for every square metre for the whole lease, including empty desks. With rented desks you can often add or drop desks at short notice.
- Common areas are shared. Meeting rooms, kitchen and reception can be a large part of a small office. When you share them, your share is smaller.
- No upfront costs. You avoid buying furniture, installing a network, signing cleaning contracts and in some cases paying for fit-out.
At the same time you pay for the operator's margin and risk. That is why the savings are largest for small, changing teams and shrink as you grow larger and more stable.
Worked example: your own office or rented desks
The figures below are made up and simplified to show the logic. Replace them with the prices you are actually quoted.
A company of five, with on average four people in at the same time, compares two options.
Option A: your own 80 sqm office
| Item | Assumption | Cost per year |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | 80 sqm × SEK 3,500/sqm/year | SEK 280,000 |
| Operations and services | cleaning, internet, electricity, coffee | SEK 60,000 |
| Furniture and IT | SEK 100,000 spread over 5 years | SEK 20,000 |
| Total | SEK 360,000 |
That is SEK 6,000 per employee per month, and you are bound for the lease term.
Option B: four fixed desks plus meeting rooms as needed
| Item | Assumption | Cost per year |
|---|---|---|
| Desks | 4 × SEK 4,500/month | SEK 216,000 |
| Extra meeting rooms | SEK 1,000/month | SEK 12,000 |
| Total | SEK 228,000 |
With these assumptions the company saves around SEK 130,000 a year, mainly because it does not pay for a fifth desk and common areas that stand empty, and because it avoids the upfront costs. But if the company grows to 15 people the picture changes: the fixed costs of an own office are spread across more people and rented desks become relatively more expensive. We show how to size your own office in office space per employee.
Subletting part of your office: what applies?
The other side of sharing an office is when you have too much space and want to rent out a few desks or a room. It can cut your own costs, but it generally counts as a sublet. You need the landlord's written consent, should contract out the subtenant's security of tenure in a separate document and need to check the VAT before you set the price. We cover the rules, the risks and what the agreement should contain in our guide to subletting commercial premises.
Tips before you share an office
- Write down the rules. Who books the meeting room, who cleans the kitchen, what hours apply, how guests are handled.
- Think about confidentiality. If you handle sensitive information you need lockable rooms and screens that cannot be seen from common areas.
- Check your insurance. Both you and the company you share with need liability and property insurance that covers shared premises.
- Look at the whole picture. Compare cost per employee per month, not per square metre.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to rent a desk?
It depends on location, standard and what is included. A hot desk in a simple coworking space is cheapest, while a fixed desk or a room in a central office hotel with reception and meeting rooms costs considerably more. Always compare what is included, especially meeting rooms and access outside office hours.
Where can you rent a desk in Stockholm?
Desks are available across the city. Most office hotels and coworking spaces are in the inner city, for example in the City, on Östermalm, Södermalm and Kungsholmen and in Vasastan, with cheaper options in Solna, Sundbyberg, Kista and Hammarby Sjöstad. Choose the location by where you and your customers are, and compare what the price includes.
Can you sublet part of your office?
Yes, but only with the landlord's consent if the other business will use the space independently. Without consent you risk forfeiting the lease. Also agree in writing with the subtenant on security of tenure and notice.
Is renting a desk cheaper than your own office?
For one or a few people almost always, since you do not pay for empty desks, common areas and furnishing. For larger, stable teams your own office is often cheaper per person over time.
What is the difference between a fixed desk and a hot desk?
A fixed desk is your own desk that only you use. A hot desk gives access to the first free desk in a shared office, which is cheaper but means you cannot leave things on the desk.
Find the right office
Whether you need a few desks, a private office room or your own premises, we put the options together for you. Tell us what you need and we will match you with the right office within 24 hours.