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October 10, 2026 | by Michael Monday
In Melbourne 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 desk per month; conventional leases are quoted per square metre per year. Both are before GST at 10%.
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A membership or licence agreement, month-to-month or fixed for six to twelve months, with one month’s notice. One all-in monthly fee per desk covers rent, outgoings, utilities, internet, cleaning, reception and meeting-room credits; a deposit of one to two months is usual. GST at 10% is added.
Twelve to thirty-six months for a dedicated floor the operator fits out and runs, priced per desk or per month, for teams of twenty and up.
Typically three to five years, rent quoted in dollars per square metre per year as gross (outgoings included) or net (outgoings on top). Melbourne landlords commonly offer large incentives, rent-free periods or fit-out contributions, in exchange for the face rent. Security is usually a bank guarantee of three to six months’ rent, and the lease carries a make-good obligation at the end. Victoria’s Retail Leases Act can apply to some small premises even when they are used as offices, which changes the rules on outgoings and term, so check before signing.
| 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 12 flexible office centres in Melbourne 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. To trade, a foreign company registers with ASIC or incorporates locally, which requires an Australian-resident director and a registered office. An ABN is needed to invoice and to register for GST.
It can. Victoria’s Act covers premises used for providing services to the public, which has caught some small professional offices, and it brings different rules on outgoings, term and disclosure. Larger offices and most CBD leases fall outside it, but check with a lawyer before signing. Flexible agreements are not leases and sit outside the Act.
Related: How to find office space in Melbourne · Where to put an office in Melbourne · Live listings in Melbourne
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