What Do Flexible Offices in Stockholm Mean?
Flexible offices are a segment of the office market that provide flexible lease terms and/or inclusive services. Unlike traditional offices, which are typically leased for 3 years or more and rented as empty spaces, flexible offices offer a comprehensive service where tenants can rely on a professional counterpart to ensure the office runs smoothly. Contracts are shorter, typically ranging from 3 to 12 months, allowing businesses to scale their office space according to need.
The flexible office market in Stockholm has grown significantly in recent years and now makes up over 7% of the total office market. Almost every property owner has launched their own product within this segment, and there are nearly 200 serviced offices in Stockholm offering flexible offices.
On yta.se, we consolidate the entire range of flexible offices in Stockholm into one place, with a real-time updated database of over 10,000 offices complete with pricing, images, and terms. Additionally, we offer free search assistance through our office experts, who help hundreds of companies find the right office for their team each year. Feel free to reach out to us for assistance with everything from finding options, booking viewings, and negotiating a good deal.
Different Types of Offices in Stockholm – What Are the Options?
There are many product segments in the market; let’s go through some of the most common. For smaller teams of 1-10 employees, the most common choice is to rent one or more private office rooms in a serviced office or coworking space. This provides a private, lockable space where you have your workstations, and you share common areas such as lounges, meeting and conference rooms, reception desk, and more with other businesses. This is currently the most common and popular solution, where everything is included in the rent, and all you need to do is bring your laptop and move in.
The next step up is to rent your own department, also called Big Office, in an office hotel. This type of solution is suitable for companies between 20-100 employees. This means that you take part of or an entire floor for yourself, but in addition to your space, you still have access to thousands of additional square meters outside the door. Your office is fully managed by the office hotel, complete with furniture, internet, cleaning and more. Compared to your own office, you expect a slightly smaller area, around 5-7 square meters/person, to compensate for what you also have access to. The advantage of having your own department compared to your own office is the simplicity of taking a smaller office than the number of employees you have, as you can easily rent larger meeting rooms or use workplaces in the lounges if on any given day you have more people in than you have workplaces for.
The final part of the market, which is relatively new, is flexible private offices. These are traditional, entirely private office spaces leased on flexible terms and/or with furniture and service. They are leased directly from the property owner with a primary lease. The benefit of these is often greater potential for minor space adaptations according to your needs, allowing you to focus entirely on your company culture. With these offices, you should expect around 10 sqm per person, as you don’t have access to additional space outside your office.
What Are the Financial Aspects of Renting a Flexible Office in Stockholm?
Renting an office in Stockholm involves several financial considerations, including rental rates, operating costs, and any service fees. Depending on location and office type, costs can vary significantly. Many companies choose flexible leases to tailor office costs to their specific needs, while others seek longer-term solutions for financial stability.
Many businesses focus solely on square meter prices, making it difficult to compare different office products. We recommend looking at the total monthly cost for the office, including everything needed for operations, such as furniture, internet, and cleaning. Professional office providers often benefit from economies of scale and can buy equipment and manage an office more cost-effectively than an individual company can.
Unlike traditional offices, the biggest financial difference is reduced expenses in the form of investments and collateral, which can often add up quickly. For regular offices, it is practice to pay a deposit of 3-6 months' rent, while with flexible offices it is standard with 0-2 months' rent. In addition, no investments are required in technology, furniture, personnel, etc., which can quickly amount to tens of thousands of kroner per employee.
A significant saving often comes from choosing a smaller office than your total staff if you have varying office occupancy, which has become almost standard today. For instance, renting a private department in a serviced office with 30 workstations but access for 60 employees is often more economical than renting a private office with space for everyone at all times. Another way to achieve this is to rent only the space you need for the coming year rather than planning for potential expansion over the next 3-5 years when leasing a traditional office.
Affordable Offices in Stockholm
When searching for an office in Stockholm, price is often the first consideration, a critical factor and the first thing you tend to look at. Stockholm offers a wide range of office solutions, from budget and cost-effective options to more exclusive, high-end offices. For flexible offices, the cost partially depends on location and the level of service and flexibility you’re seeking. Naturally, your rent decreases the longer the lease you’re willing to sign and the less service that’s included. However, it’s crucial to ensure that your total cost doesn’t increase if you manage operations yourself.
Stockholm is a large city with a wide range of offices in its various sub-areas and nearby suburbs. The cheapest flexible offices in Stockholm are mainly outside customs in areas such as Kista, Sollentuna, Hammarby Sjöstad and Bromma / Sundbyberg. In these areas, there is a wide range of full-service office hotels, but also a growing range of simpler own offices that can be rented with flexible contract terms. Count on prices from SEK 1,500/person up to SEK 4,500/person and month.
Within the tolls towards the center, it is important to invest in a simpler level of service to reduce costs, it is almost more important than the specific area you choose. Serviced offices with a high proportion of rentable space can often offer larger office solutions at a lower price, and today there is also a growing range of private offices with flexible terms that can be obtained for an attractive price.
Stockholm's Most Expensive Offices
For companies seeking premium spaces with a touch of luxury, Stockholm offers top-tier offices in prime locations. Areas like Östermalm, Norrmalm, and City host exclusive flexible offices where style and functionality blend in exceptional environments, perfect for companies looking for luxurious offices on prestigious addresses without committing to 3-5 year leases. As previously mentioned, the price depends partly on the location you desire and partly on the level of service you want.
If the environment and creating a welcoming workplace for colleagues and visitors are top priorities, there are plenty of outstanding options today. Some favorites include Cecil Coworking on Norrlandsgatan, which looks and feels more like a 5-star hotel, A-House, which always preserves the character of its building to create some of Stockholm’s most beautiful office environments, and Convendum, which sets the standard for representative flexible offices, especially tailored for larger organizations. All these spaces share a unique ambiance suited for a specific target audience, so it’s important to evaluate which one best aligns with your needs.
The Stockholm Office Market – Trends and Developments
The office market in Stockholm is dynamic and continues to evolve with new trends. Looking at larger office markets in the U.S. and the U.K., one of the strongest-growing trends is private offices with flexibility in contracts and optional service packages. In Stockholm, vacancy rates have risen significantly in recent years, while flexible offices have gained increasing traction. Today, the flexible segment of Stockholm's office market accounts for about 7-10% of total revenue and is projected to grow to 30% by 2030.
Currently, there are over 400,000 sqm of flexible offices within serviced offices in Stockholm and approximately 40,000 sqm of flexible private offices, with over 150 different providers offering their services. Beyond the serviced office providers, many property owners have also entered the market directly, such as Vasakronan with its coworking space Arena, Atrium Ljungberg with A-House, Castellum with United Spaces, Fabege with CoW, Revelop with C/O, and many more. The market is constantly evolving, and we see new concepts being launched daily for an increasingly broad audience.
Sustainable Office Solutions in Stockholm
Sustainability is a critical aspect of modern office solutions. Stockholm is at the forefront of the green building movement, offering energy-efficient offices and focusing on eco-friendly workspaces. Flexible offices take sustainability to the next level, as more people utilize a smaller total office area, and space longevity increases from being renovated every three years to lasting 7-15 years in many cases.
In addition to flexible offices being inherently sustainable, many providers actively champion sustainability. By investing in sustainable furniture, performing careful renovations, and managing property operations in an eco-friendly way, flexible office providers tend to achieve a level of sustainability far beyond what an individual tenant could accomplish in a private space.