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October 10, 2026 | by Michael Monday
In Munich 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 five years for central offices, often five to ten for larger ones, with renewal options. Rent is quoted per square metre per month as Kaltmiete, with Nebenkosten on top and Umsatzsteuer at 19% where the landlord has opted. A Kaution of three months’ rent, usually as a bank guarantee, is standard, with index clauses and a Rückbau obligation at the end. A lease longer than one year must meet the written-form requirement of §550 BGB.
| 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 is adding Munich operators now; live listings for Munich will appear on the markets page as they are collected. 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.
Corporate headquarters, low vacancy and a constrained centre. The same team pays materially more for an address inside the Altstadtring than in Berlin Mitte, which is why flexible offices in districts like Werksviertel and Arnulfpark have grown quickly.
Related: How to find office space in Munich · Where to put an office in Munich · SquareFoot international markets
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