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.
A serviced office for 50 people in London costs about £27,750 a month at the November 2026 median of £555 per desk, all-in. That median comes from 201 priced London centres that list an office for 50 or more, out of 447 on SquareFoot (168 of them take 100+). At this size most teams also price a managed floor, which operators quote on enquiry; this guide covers both.
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What 50, 75 or 100 people pay a month (November 2026)
| Headcount | Lower quarter (£425/desk) | Median (£555/desk) | Upper quarter (£750/desk) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 people | £21,250 | £27,750 | £37,500 |
| 75 people | £31,875 | £41,625 | £56,250 |
| 100 people | £42,500 | £55,500 | £75,000 |
A year at the median for 50 people is about £333,000. These are asking prices; a commitment of twelve months or more usually comes in under them. In US dollars at £1 = $1.33 (2026-11-12), the median is about $736 a desk a month.
Serviced suite, managed floor or lease
- Serviced suite (licence of one to twelve months, ready in days): fastest, shared amenities, least control over layout. 201 priced London centres can take 50+.
- Managed office (operator agreement, usually one to three years, four to twelve weeks to fit out): your own floor and front door, fitted to your brief, one monthly fee.
- Conventional lease (five to ten years, three to six months to occupy, your own fit-out): cheapest per year over a long term for a stable headcount.
For 50 people, a managed floor is the usual answer when the team wants its own identity and expects to stay two years or more; a serviced suite when headcount may move by a fifth either way.
Operators with space for 50+ people
| Operator | London centres taking 50+ |
|---|---|
| Fora | 37 |
| WeWork | 23 |
| Elementa Workspace | 21 |
| Regus | 17 |
| Spaces | 13 |
| Storey | 9 |
| Lentaspace | 8 |
| Runway East | 8 |
| Newton Perkins | 7 |
| WorkPad | 6 |
| x+why | 6 |
| Knotel | 5 |
88 recognised operators in all; another 146 centres at this size are listed by agents or landlords and quoted on enquiry.
Where the space is
Most centres taking 50+: Old Street 24, Fitzrovia 24, Farringdon 23, Holborn 23, Southwark 20, Aldgate 20, Liverpool Street 19, Shoreditch 18, Bank 17. Median per desk at 50+ centres, districts with five or more priced (cheapest to dearest): Canary Wharf £350, Hammersmith £375, Southwark £500, Aldgate £500, Bank £550, Holborn £550, City £550, Liverpool Street £630, Old Street £650, Monument £650, Shoreditch £675, Farringdon £675, Fitzrovia £680, Paddington £725, Marylebone £730, Victoria £750, Soho £776, Mayfair £800, Kings Cross £850.
What to settle before viewings
- Headcount on a typical day, not on the payroll: a 70-person hybrid team often fits a 50-desk floor.
- Term: twelve months, two years or three; operators price longer terms lower.
- Fit-out: standard serviced furniture, or a managed fit-out to your brief (adds weeks, not cost up front).
- Exclusive or shared: your own kitchen, meeting rooms and entrance, or the building’s.
- Exit: notice period and break, and what happens if you need to grow by 20 desks.
Managed floors and leases in London: the 2026 figures
JLL (8 July 2026): managed space is 25% of London flex transactions, managed deals average 6,600 sq ft, requirements over 6,000 sq ft rose 103% between 2023 and 2025, and nearly a quarter of managed occupiers commit for more than 24 months. Valve, reported by Allwork.Space, counts London managed supply up 66% since 2022 across 750+ buildings and 101 providers, at an average managed rent of £153 per sq ft a year. Knight Frank’s prime headline rents for conventional leases in Q3 2026 ran from £62.50 per sq ft a year in Canary Wharf to £112.50 in the City Core and £200 in the West End Core, before business rates, service charge and fit-out (The London Office Market Report Q3 2026, 3 November 2026).
How SquareFoot helps
Tell us the headcount, districts and move date, managed floors included. Our local team in London confirms which suites and floors 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
What does leased office space cost per square foot in London?
Knight Frank’s prime headline rents in Q3 2026 ran from £62.50 per sq ft a year in Canary Wharf to £112.50 in the City Core and £200 in the West End Core, before business rates, service charge and fit-out (The London Office Market Report Q3 2026, 3 November 2026).
How much does an office for 50 people cost in London?
About £27,750 a month at the November 2026 median of £555 per desk, all-in, with the middle half of the market between £21,250 and £37,500.
How much is an office for 100 people in London?
About £55,500 a month at the median asking price. At 100 people most companies also price a managed floor or a lease; managed floors are quoted on enquiry.
What is a managed office?
A self-contained floor that an operator fits out to your brief and runs for one monthly fee, usually on a one-to-three-year agreement: your own front door and branding, without signing a lease or paying for the fit-out up front.
How much space do 50 people need?
Roughly 2,500 to 5,000 sq ft: about 50 to 75 sq ft per desk in a serviced layout, about 100 in a conventional office.
How long does it take to move 50 people into an office in London?
One to three weeks into a serviced suite, four to twelve weeks into a managed floor, three to six months into a leased floor with fit-out.
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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