What do you look for when renting office space for your business? Nine times out of ten, the only things on your mind are: 

• How much it costs
• Where it’s located
• How much space it provides

All extremely useful things to look for – yet solely focusing on them will lead to some rental mistakes. Keep an eye out for a few underrated and lesser-known things, when choosing where to set up your small business, that are equally important. 

How Is The Property Managed?

Who manages the property and how is it managed? Specifically, do you have a say in some of the decisions? The best properties will be managed by a dedicated team that gives you access to commercial real estate software so you can log issues, arrange certain services, etc. You’ll also have more freedom to make adjustments around the place – like changing the flooring or interior design, and so on. 

Bad offices are poorly managed. You find it hard to contact the property managers, they spend ages replying to requests, and they’re generally not very helpful. It can make running a business far harder than it should be, so always pay close attention to who manages the property and how it’s run. 

Who Are Your Neighbors?

Next, look at who you’ll be situated next to or by. If you’re in a block of offices, see who your neighbors are. In an ideal world, they’ll be peaceful small businesses that go about their days without causing any strife. They’re quiet and you don’t run into any issues. 

In the worst-case scenario, you’re amongst rowdy companies who may make too much noise and disrupt your routine. Or, you’re neighbors with rival small businesses! This isn’t that bad, but if your business relies on bringing people to your office, it could get tetchy. What if they see your neighbors and think their office looks more professional? You could lose clients simply because of who you’re next to. 

What Is The Technological Infrastructure Like?

By this, we’re mainly talking about the internet situation. So many small business owners forget about this when finding the ideal office space. We think this is because we’re so used to relying on the internet that we forget it can sometimes be terrible. Old office buildings might lack modern technological infrastructure, meaning you can’t enjoy things like fiber internet. 

This leaves you with slow internet without enough bandwidth to handle your daily tasks. It can genuinely inhibit your ability to work. Even worse – if the building is managed poorly – you may be unable to install better internet. Always check the infrastructure before renting so you know how fast and reliable the internet office speeds will be. 

We’re not telling you to neglect the three major points listed at the start of this article. Judging office space by its price, location, and space requirements is still important. We just think you stand a better chance of finding the perfect office if you consider the other three points as well.