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October 10, 2026 | by Michael Monday
In Berlin the contract decides almost everything else: the term, the deposit, who fits out the space, and whether you need a local company to sign. This guide sets the three contract forms side by side and then covers what a company from abroad needs in place before it signs. Flexible space is quoted per Arbeitsplatz (desk) per month; conventional leases are quoted per square metre per month as net cold rent (Kaltmiete), before service charges (Nebenkosten) and VAT at 19%.
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A Nutzungsvertrag or Dienstleistungsvertrag (usage or service agreement), not a Mietvertrag, monthly or for six to twelve months with one month’s notice. One all-in fee per Arbeitsplatz covers rent, Nebenkosten, utilities, internet, cleaning, reception and meeting-room credits; a deposit of one to two months is usual. Umsatzsteuer at 19% is added.
Twelve to thirty-six months for a dedicated floor fitted and run by the operator, priced per desk or per month, for teams of twenty and up.
Typically three to five years for smaller offices and five to ten for larger ones, often with renewal options. Rent is quoted per square metre per month as Kaltmiete, with Nebenkosten (service charges) on top and Umsatzsteuer at 19% where the landlord has opted. A Kaution of three months’ rent, usually as a bank guarantee, is standard, as are index clauses and a Rückbau obligation to reinstate at the end. A lease longer than one year must meet the written-form requirement of §550 BGB, or either party may terminate it early with statutory notice, which is why German office leases are long, formal documents.
| Flexible office | Managed office | Conventional lease | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contract | Licence or membership | Operator agreement | Lease |
| Term | 1–12 months, rolling after | 12–36 months | Years, with a break if negotiated |
| Fit-out | Done | Operator, to your spec | Yours to fund and remove |
| Price basis | Per desk per month, all-in | Per desk or per floor per month | Rent plus taxes, service charge, utilities |
| Deposit | 1–2 months | 1–3 months | Several months’ rent or a bank guarantee |
| Time to move in | Days to weeks | Weeks to months | Months |
SquareFoot lists 31 flexible office centres in Berlin from 3 operators, collected October 2026 from the operators’ own published pages. Guide written by SquareFoot; last reviewed October 2026.
No. It is a licence or service agreement for a fitted room with one monthly fee, usually one to twelve months and rolling after that. It gives no security of tenure and no fit-out obligation, which is the trade-off against a conventional lease.
Not for flexible space, which a foreign company can take on a usage agreement. A commercial lease usually needs a German entity; a GmbH or UG takes two to six weeks to register and needs a registered address, which an operator’s virtual-office product can provide.
Under §550 BGB a lease longer than one year must be in a single written document with all its terms; if it is not, either party can terminate it with statutory notice regardless of the agreed term. It is why German office leases are formal and why amendments are added as signed annexes. Flexible contracts are unaffected.
Related: How to find office space in Berlin · Where to put an office in Berlin · Live listings in Berlin
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