How Much Does a Private Office Cost in London?
A private office in London costs roughly £400 to £900 per desk per month on an all-inclusive serviced basis, with the citywide median sitting at around £585 per desk. Rates run from about £194 per desk in the cheapest outer-borough buildings to more than £5,000 per desk in small prestige suites in Mayfair and St James’s, so the figure that matters to you depends almost entirely on the postcode you choose and how many people you need to seat. At Apex in West Hampstead, a private office starts at £900 + VAT per month for a team of two, which works out at around £450 per desk.
This guide breaks down what businesses are actually paying across London in 2026, what that price includes, and how much you can save by looking just outside the central zones.
How much does a private office cost in London per month?
Most London businesses pay between £450 and £900 per desk per month for a fully serviced private office. Work.Life puts the citywide market average at around £624 per desk, while Wezoo’s analysis of 325 bookable London offices found a median entry price of about £585 per desk, with most offices landing between £300 and £1,100.
Turned into monthly budgets at the median rate, that means:
- A two-person office: around £1,170 per month
- A four-person office: around £2,340 per month
- A eight-person office: around £4,680 per month
- A ten-person office: around £5,850 per month
These are all-in figures. Unlike a conventional lease, a serviced private office bundles rent, business rates, utilities, cleaning and internet into one monthly invoice, so the advertised price is close to what you actually pay.
How much does a private office cost by area in London?
Location moves the price more than any other factor. The gap between the cheapest and most expensive London districts is roughly two to three times for the same desk. Here is the indicative picture for 2026:
|
Area |
Typical cost per desk per month |
|
Mayfair, St James’s and the West End |
£775 to £1,500+ |
|
Kensington and Chelsea |
£700 to £1,200 |
|
City of London |
£580 to £1,200 |
|
Holborn, Midtown and Covent Garden |
£550 to £950 |
|
South Bank and Waterloo |
£450 to £850 |
|
Shoreditch and east London |
£458 to £800 |
|
Camden, King’s Cross and north-west London |
£380 to £500 |
|
Outer London boroughs |
from £380 |
The West End commands the highest rates because supply is tight and demand from finance, media and law firms is constant. Move east into the City and the median falls by around £195 per desk. Moving into the outer boroughs can roughly halve the West End figure while keeping a professional serviced address.
For a business that does not need a W1 postcode, that difference is worth several thousand pounds a year per employee.
What is included in the price of a private office?
A serviced office space price is usually all-inclusive, which is what makes per-desk comparison possible in the first place. The monthly figure typically covers:
- rent and business rates
- service charges and building management
- utilities
- building insurance
- cleaning and maintenance
- broadband
- access to reception and on-site support
- use of shared kitchens and breakout areas.
The items that vary between operators, and the ones worth asking about before you sign, are meeting room access, internet speed, printing allowances, and whether 24/7 access is included or charged as an extra. A cheaper headline desk rate that bills meeting rooms and furniture separately can easily end up costing more than a higher all-inclusive rate.
Why do smaller private offices cost more per desk?
A two or three-person office almost always carries a higher rate per desk than a ten-person office in the same building, because the fixed cost of a private room, reception cover and building infrastructure is shared between fewer people. It is one reason taking one desk more than you need today often works out cheaper than moving to a larger suite six months later.
If you are a small team, ask for a quote based on your real headcount rather than relying on an advertised per-desk figure, which is often calculated on a larger office.
How much does a private office cost in West Hampstead?
Private offices at Apex start from £900 + VAT per month, which is below the London median once you work it back to a per-desk rate. West Hampstead sits in NW6, outside the central zones where rates climb, but with Thameslink, Jubilee line and Overground stations within a two-minute walk of the building.
|
Office size |
Price from (excl. VAT) |
Approximate cost per desk |
|
2 people |
£900 per month |
£450 |
|
4 people |
£1,800 per month |
£450 |
|
5 people |
£2,750 per month |
£550 |
|
8 people |
£4,000 per month |
£500 |
Is a private office cheaper than a traditional lease?
For most small and growing businesses, a serviced private office works out cheaper in total cost, even when the per-square-foot rate looks higher on paper. A conventional lease adds service charges of roughly 15 to 25% of rent, separately billed utilities, business rates, legal fees, dilapidations liability at the end of the term, and a fit-out that can run to £60–£100 per square foot before anyone sits down. Those costs arrive upfront and are rarely recoverable.
A serviced office removes the fit-out, the furniture and the multi-year commitment. The trade-off is that you have less control over the space itself, which is why leases still suit larger, settled businesses with predictable headcount.