Opening a London Office: A Guide for US Companies (2026)
What a US company pays for a London office in pounds and dollars (median £475, about $630 per desk a month), the contracts, timing, VAT and entity questions, step by step.
An office for 20 to 50 people in London costs a median of £550 per desk a month in November 2026, so about £11,000 a month for 20 people and £27,500 for 50, all-in. That is the median asking price across 442 priced London centres that list an office for 20 to 50, from 1,047 such centres on SquareFoot, taken from the operators’ own published prices. Below: what each headcount pays, the operators and districts with the most space at this size, and when a managed floor beats a serviced suite.
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What 20, 30 or 50 people pay a month (November 2026)
| Headcount | Lower quarter (£400/desk) | Median (£550/desk) | Upper quarter (£730/desk) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 people | £8,000 | £11,000 | £14,600 |
| 30 people | £12,000 | £16,500 | £21,900 |
| 50 people | £20,000 | £27,500 | £36,500 |
Prices are the asking price per desk per month at centres that list an office for 20 to 50; operators often price a suite as a unit and come in under the straight multiple on a twelve-month term. In US dollars at £1 = $1.33 (2026-11-12), the median is about $729 a desk a month.
Across our London listings, the median asking price per desk by the largest office a centre lets is £450 at ten desks or fewer, £495 at 11 to 20, £550 at 21 to 50, £570 at 51 or more. Centres that take bigger teams ask more per desk on the rate card, not less: bigger suites tend to sit in newer, better-located buildings, and the saving at this size comes from the term and the negotiation.
Operators with offices for 20 to 50 people
| Operator | London centres taking 20 to 50 |
|---|---|
| Fora | 50 |
| WeWork | 25 |
| Elementa Workspace | 24 |
| WorkPad | 23 |
| Regus | 21 |
| The Boutique Workplace Company | 20 |
| Argyll | 19 |
| Spaces | 15 |
| Frameworks | 11 |
| Ingleby Trice | 10 |
| Knotel | 10 |
| Orega | 10 |
164 recognised operators in all; another 399 centres at this size are listed by agents or landlords and quoted on enquiry.
Where the space is, and what it costs by district
Most centres at this size: Fitzrovia 67, Shoreditch 67, Farringdon 57, Old Street 54, Holborn 52, Mayfair 50. Median per desk at centres taking 20 to 50, districts with five or more priced (cheapest to dearest): Hammersmith £375, Fulham £397, Canary Wharf £400, Camden £400, Aldgate £450, Chancery Lane £499, Southwark £500, Kensington £500, London Bridge £500, Holborn £520, Blackfriars £525, Shoreditch £532, Waterloo £550, Moorgate £550, City £550, Clerkenwell £580, Old Street £600, Fitzrovia £600, Farringdon £600, Bloomsbury £600, Bank £600, Victoria £650, Monument £650, Cannon Street £680, Covent Garden £690, Marylebone £700, Liverpool Street £700, Paddington £725, Soho £778, Kings Cross £850, Mayfair £876. A 30-person team pays about £11,250 a month in Hammersmith at the median and £26,280 in Mayfair: the district is the biggest lever.
Serviced suite or managed floor?
At 20 to 50 people both work. A serviced suite is a furnished office inside an operator’s building on a licence of one to twelve months, ready in days, with shared reception, kitchens and meeting rooms. A managed office is a self-contained floor the operator fits out to your brief, usually on a one-to-three-year agreement, with your own front door and branding. Managed floors are almost always quoted on enquiry: of 1,227 London centres listed as managed offices, 2 publish a price, so ask our local team in London to request quotes.
Timing and terms at this size
- Serviced suite: viewing to move-in in one to three weeks; a licence of one to twelve months, deposit usually one to two months.
- Managed floor: four to twelve weeks to fit out; an agreement of one to three years.
- Conventional lease: three to six months to occupy; five to ten years, usually with a break, plus your own fit-out.
What the London market data says at this size
JLL (8 July 2026) puts managed space at 25% of London flex transactions, with managed deals averaging 6,600 sq ft against 4,100 for serviced. CBRE put the average London flex deal at 2,100 sq ft and 19 months in Q1 2026, with requirements up 40% on a year earlier. Rubberdesk’s Q4 2025 London figures show asking prices rising with team size too, from £626 a desk for 1-4 desks to £798 for 50+.
How SquareFoot helps
Tell us the headcount, the districts and the move date. Our local team in London confirms which suites are actually free, at what price, books the viewings and negotiates the term. Free for the tenant: the operator pays.
Counts and prices are from SquareFoot’s live listings for London as of November 2026: 2325 listings, 872 with a published asking price, collected from the operators’ and landlords’ own pages. Prices are per desk per month for serviced and flexible space unless stated. Written by SquareFoot; reviewed November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is a managed office cheaper than a serviced office for 30 people in London?
Per desk on the rate card, usually not: Rubberdesk’s Q4 2025 London asking medians put managed space at £805 per desk against £575 for serviced. Managed floors avoid fit-out capital and lease costs, so over two or three years the totals get close. JLL (8 July 2026) puts managed space at 25% of London flex transactions, with managed deals averaging 6,600 sq ft.
How much is an office for 20 people in London?
About £11,000 a month at the November 2026 median of £550 per desk, £8,000 at the lower quarter and £14,600 at the upper quarter, all-in.
How much is an office for 50 people in London?
About £27,500 a month at the median (£20,000 to £36,500 across the middle half of the market). At 50 people also ask for a managed floor, which is priced per floor on enquiry.
How much space does a 30-person office need?
Roughly 1,500 to 3,000 sq ft: serviced offices are planned at about 50 to 75 sq ft per desk, conventional offices at about 100.
How fast can a team of 40 move in?
Into a serviced suite, one to three weeks after a viewing; a managed floor takes four to twelve weeks; a lease three to six months.
Which London districts are cheapest for 20 to 50 people?
Among districts with five or more priced offices at this size: Hammersmith (£375 a desk), Fulham (£397) and Canary Wharf (£400).
Related: WeWork alternatives in London · How much office space costs in London · Short-term office space in London · Best coworking spaces in London for small teams · Office space for 10 to 20 people in London · London office desk prices, November 2026 · London Office Space Price Index · How to find office space in London · Flexible office vs lease in London · Where to put an office in London · Every London listing with prices · Workspace in London · Fora in London · Argyll in London · Fitzrovia offices · Shoreditch offices · Mayfair offices
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