How to Find Office Space in Munich: Who to Call, Who Pays, How Long It Takes (2026)

There are three ways into an office in Munich, and they take anywhere from a week to half a year. A flexible office is a fitted room on a short licence with one monthly fee. A managed office is a whole floor an operator fits out for you on a one-to-three-year agreement. A conventional lease is the long route: your own fit-out, your own contract, and a term measured in years. Which one fits depends on headcount, how long you are committing for and whether you have an entity in the country yet. This guide covers who the players are, who pays, and what each route involves. Munich is Germany’s most expensive office market and the home of Design Offices, the country’s largest flexible operator. Demand comes from corporate headquarters (BMW, Siemens, Allianz, Munich Re), their suppliers, and the tech companies that cluster around them, so flexible supply skews toward serviced offices for professional teams rather than open coworking.

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Who you will deal with

Operators own or run the flexible buildings and sell desks and offices direct: Design Offices, IWG (Regus, Spaces, Signature), WeWork, Mindspace, Satellite Office, WorkRepublic, ecos office center, Impact Hub Munich, Combinat 56. Flex brokers and marketplaces list several operators in one place: Instant Offices, Coworker, Workthere, and SquareFoot. Leasing agents and tenant representatives handle conventional space: JLL, CBRE, Colliers, Cushman & Wakefield, BNP Paribas Real Estate, Savills, Engel & Völkers Commercial. Operators in Munich mostly quote on enquiry; SquareFoot shows published rates where they exist and asks the operator for the rest.

Who pays

• Flexible space: the operator pays the introducer when a tenant signs; the tenant pays nothing and the rate is the same as going direct.
• Leases: the broker’s commission (Maklerprovision) on commercial space is a matter of agreement and is commonly paid by the tenant in Munich, often one to three months’ net rent; the residential rule that the party who hires the broker pays does not apply to offices.

The three ways in, and how long each takes

What to have ready

• A foreign company can take flexible space with its registration extract and the signatory’s ID; longer managed-office terms may call for a German entity or a guarantee.
• Incorporating a GmbH needs €25,000 share capital (half paid in) and a notarial deed, then registration in the Handelsregister at the Munich court and a Gewerbeanmeldung with the city; a UG (haftungsbeschränkt) starts from €1. Allow two to six weeks. The company needs a ladungsfähige Anschrift in Germany; operators’ virtual-office products can provide it if they accept service of documents. No residency requirement for the Geschäftsführer.

How SquareFoot fits in

SquareFoot is a marketplace, not a broker in Munich. It is collecting the operators’ published centres and prices in one place, lets you shortlist and ask for a tour, and hands the request to the operator or a local partner who confirms availability and the exact price. The tenant pays nothing; the operator pays the introducer when a contract is signed. 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%.

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.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get an office in Munich?

Flexible office: One to two weeks. Managed office: Four to twelve weeks for a self-contained floor fitted and run by the operator on a one-to-three-year agreement. Gewerbemietvertrag (commercial lease): Three to six months: offer, a lease that satisfies the written-form rule, your own fit-out, and a term of five years or more with options.

Do I pay a broker to find an office in Munich?

Flexible space: the operator pays the introducer when a tenant signs; the tenant pays nothing and the rate is the same as going direct.

Do I need a German company to rent an office in Munich?

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.

Related: Flexible office vs lease in Munich · Where to put an office in Munich · SquareFoot international markets

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