Commercial Office Space // 6 Questions to Ask before Committing

Leasing commercial office space in Nairobi is just plain scary. Often you have to sign a multi-year lease and the monthly rent may be higher than your home mortgage even for a very small office. 

Worse, the commercial office space contract may leave you on the hook for rent payments even if you have to move because you outgrow the space or your business closes.

Whether you’re renting space for your business for the first time or relocating, leasing an office space is a big financial decision hence the need to get answers to a few questions before you sign the lease agreement.

With the complications that come with leasing a commercial office space though, you can always opt for other flexible options that include joining a coworking space, where you only sign a Coworking Agreement, whose most notable feature is the simplicity of its contracts, especially in comparison to traditional leases. 

More so operators and tenants alike appreciate the straightforward approach that the majority of the industry has embraced.

However, if you still opt to lease a commercial Office Space, it’s important to evaluate the location, the building, the terms of the lease, and even the landlord before signing a commercial lease. You need to do due diligence to ensure you get the best out of what you need to deliver on

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself beforehand.

How much space do you need?

One of the biggest challenges people face when looking for office space in Nairobi is getting to understand the space they need and how it is actually measured.

While looking for an Office space in Kilimani or Office Space in Westlands, one thing you need to know is how much space you need. Office spaces in Kenya are measured in Square meters. 

One square meter is equal to 10.75 square feet. While sourcing for commercial office space, ensure you look for a professional space planner that can help you visualize the space and get that which you only need.

Ideally, an office space should be about 150 square feet and if you opt for cubicles, then they could be in 25 square feet and so on. Also, the space may differ depending on the equipment you have. Always ask for advice from your agent by sharing your company details beforehand. Sounds tasking?

You can also opt for the already fully fitted and serviced office spaces where you don’t necessarily have to go through the hassle.

Is coworking an option for my team?

Getting a commercial office space can be quite tasking as seen above while taking up a coworking space, only takes a few minutes to set up. 

With a team of up to 100 people, coworking spaces could work perfectly for your team especially with the numerous advantages,i.e no hidden charges, no complicated leases, etc, Your team can benefit from the vibrant community while having the luxury of enclosed office space to build your company culture.

You also get to save on your operational cost, concentrate on your business as much of the job is handled by the team running the space. As you look for an office space then this could be an important question to consider and tick of your bucket list.

Should you rent on current demand or future expectations

It is always important to rent an office space in line with your current demands unless advised otherwise by your strategic manager.

In most cases, if you experience unexpected growth in a few months before your lease expires, you can always expand your space in the same building.

7 questions to ask before moving from traditional office space to a coworking space

However, with the growth of flexible workspaces, unlike the traditional office spaces, you always have the liberty to scale up or scale down since you are not tied up to complex leases. 

So if you are experiencing unexpected growth you can always take up larger office space and if you need to cut down on your workforce you can also take up other tailor-made options that could include a fixed desk or a Flexi.

How well does the space speak my brand?

The brand is everything! You do not want to take up space where your clients can hardly find and locate you right? 

In most cases, it is not the space that speaks about the brand but what you do with the space. While looking for an office space ensure you understand the terms of how far and how much you can do with the space.

Once you have that, you can source for an interior designer to help you create an amazing experience from the space you had.

What is included in my rent or service charge?

Service charge on commercial office space has quite a huge impact on your day-to-day operations. While leasing an office space you need to know what is included in your rent and what you need to cater for separately. Once it is clear, you get to know where you can channel your energy.

Service charges could include the cleaning of common areas, security, minor repairs, garbage removal, and so on. For some service charges, this could include backup generators.

Once these charges are clear, you can be able to find cheaper options to cut on the costs and so on.

Which is the right location for my business?

Where your business is located will be determined by the type of business or the industry your business is in. Always check out a few entities before committing to certain premises.

This could include human traffic that can eventually translate to customers. You can ask yourself questions like; Do you need a space near a major highway? Do you need ample parking? Are you close to a noisy industry? Is the office accessible to both my employees and clients? and so on. You need to take this into consideration before making this critical business decision.

In some cases, you will need a space that allows you access to more than one location especially if your day is filled up with back-to-back in-person meetings. 

You do not want to waste a whole day in traffic. This is where again flexible workspaces like Nairobi Garage come in. With multiple locations across the city, you always have the liberty to work from a location close to you.

You can start off your day at our Karen space, rush to a meeting at our Kilimani Location, then pop up at the Westlands location to respond to a few emails before calling it a day.

Conclusion

Again it’s important that you take leasing commercial office space seriously because small mistakes and oversights could end up costing you a lot of money.

Be conservative and don’t lease more space than you need. If you don’t have a clear plan for growth then stick to short-term leases and subleases.

Make sure you know what all the upfront costs are before signing a lease (security deposit, first month’s rent, furniture, internet/phone, general liability, and property insurance, out-of-pocket tenant improvements, etc.).

Know what you are required to pay for and what you are responsible for. Too many tenants overlook this. Also, keep in mind that we can always save you the hassle that comes with setting up an office space. Sign up for a desk this November and use up for only the space that you need.