The market for flexible workspaces has grown explosively in the Netherlands. From small startups to multinationals, an increasing number of businesses are considering a flex office as an alternative to a traditional lease. The appeal is clear — no long-term commitment, everything included, start immediately. But is a flex office genuinely more cost-effective? Or do you end up paying more for the convenience? In this article, we present the honest calculation.
What exactly is a flex office?
The term 'flex office' covers several concepts, all revolving around flexibility in time, space and contract:
- Coworking space: Open workstations shared with other companies. Available by the day, week, or month. Well-known providers include WeWork, Spaces (Regus), The Student Hotel and numerous local initiatives.
- Serviced office: A private, enclosed office within a larger building, fully furnished and including services. Contracts typically run from three months to two years.
- Managed office: A larger, custom-fitted office space managed by an operator. Contracts of one to five years, with more scope for your own identity than a serviced office.
What all flex concepts have in common is that the tenant needs to make little to no investment in fit-out, IT infrastructure, or facilities management. Everything is included in a single monthly all-in fee.
Basic costs compared: flexible vs fixed
Let us compare costs for a company that needs space for 15 workstations in a mid-sized city such as Utrecht or The Hague. We use market-rate figures from 2026.
Option A: Flex office (serviced office)
- 15 workstations in a serviced office: EUR 450-650 per workstation per month
- Total per month: EUR 6,750-9,750
- Total per year: EUR 81,000-117,000
- Included: furniture, internet, cleaning, reception, coffee/tea, meeting rooms (limited), service charges, energy
Option B: Fixed lease (traditional office, 250 m²)
- Base rent: EUR 225 per m² per year = EUR 56,250 per year
- Service charges: EUR 55 per m² per year = EUR 13,750 per year
- Total rent + service charges per year: EUR 70,000
At first glance, the traditional office is EUR 11,000 to 47,000 per year cheaper. But this comparison is incomplete. With a fixed lease, there are numerous costs you must bear yourself.
The hidden costs of a fixed lease
With a traditional lease, you pay more than just rent and service charges. The following cost items are often underestimated or forgotten in the comparison:
One-off costs at the start:
- Fit-out and furniture: EUR 800-1,500 per workstation = EUR 12,000-22,500
- IT infrastructure (network, servers, telephony): EUR 5,000-15,000
- Deposit: typically three months' rent = EUR 14,000-17,500
- Notary and legal fees: EUR 2,000-5,000
- Alterations to the space (painting, flooring, lighting): EUR 5,000-25,000
Ongoing costs:
- Cleaning: EUR 200-400 per month = EUR 2,400-4,800 per year
- Coffee, tea, amenities: EUR 50-80 per employee per month = EUR 9,000-14,400 per year
- IT management and licences: EUR 100-200 per workstation per month = EUR 18,000-36,000 per year
- Reception/telephone service: EUR 500-1,500 per month = EUR 6,000-18,000 per year
- Maintenance and repairs: EUR 2,000-5,000 per year
- Insurance (contents, liability): EUR 1,500-3,000 per year
When you add up all these costs, the total picture for a traditional office comes to:
- One-off costs: EUR 38,000-85,000 (depreciated over five years: EUR 7,600-17,000 per year)
- Annual fixed costs: EUR 70,000 (rent + service charges)
- Annual variable costs: EUR 38,900-81,200
- Total per year: EUR 116,500-168,200
Suddenly the difference with the flex office (EUR 81,000-117,000) is much smaller — or even in favour of the flex option.
A traditional office for 15 workstations easily costs EUR 120,000-170,000 per year when you factor in all additional costs. A flex office for the same team: EUR 80,000-117,000.
The hidden costs of a flex office
In fairness, flex offices also have their hidden costs. The all-in rate does not always cover everything:
- Meeting rooms: Most subscriptions include a limited number of meeting hours. Additional hours cost EUR 25-75 per hour. With intensive meeting use, this adds up to EUR 3,000-8,000 per year.
- Expansion: Need extra workstations? They are not always immediately available and cost the same per-workstation rate — there is no volume discount.
- Branding and identity: In a serviced office, your options for creating your own look and feel are limited. Custom signage, a dedicated reception area, or specific fit-out comes at additional cost.
- Storage: Archive or storage space is often not included and costs EUR 50-150 per m² per month extra.
- Parking: Parking spaces are generally not included and cost EUR 150-350 per space per month in cities like Utrecht or Amsterdam.
- Contract renewal: On renewal after the initial contract period, rates are sometimes increased, especially once you are settled in and the switching threshold is high.
For our example, add a realistic surcharge of 10-20 per cent on top of the base rate for these additional costs.
Break-even analysis: when is flex more cost-effective?
Based on our calculations, a flex office is typically more cost-effective in the following situations:
- Teams of up to 20 people: The economies of scale of your own office only become significant with larger teams. For smaller teams, the all-in convenience of flex is almost always cheaper.
- Contract duration shorter than three years: The one-off investments for your own office (fit-out, alterations, deposit) are only recouped after two to three years. For shorter terms, flex is financially more attractive.
- Fast-growing businesses: Companies expecting significant growth within one to two years pay double with a traditional lease: first for a too-small office, then the costs of relocating to a larger one.
- Uncertain market conditions: In times of economic uncertainty, the flexibility to scale up or down quickly has a value that cannot be expressed in euros alone.
A fixed lease becomes more cost-effective when:
- Teams larger than 25-30 people: The more workstations, the greater the economy of scale of your own office.
- Stable occupancy over five years or more: If you know with certainty that your team will maintain the same size for at least five years, you will recoup the one-off investments comfortably.
- Specific requirements for the space: Companies that need their own look, specific technical installations, or a representative reception area are better off with their own office.
The flex factor for growing businesses
For fast-growing companies, the flexibility of a flex office is a strategic advantage that goes beyond cost. Imagine your business grows from 10 to 30 employees in two years:
Scenario with a fixed lease:
- Year 1: You rent an office for 15 workstations (250 m²). Costs: approximately EUR 140,000 including fit-out.
- Year 2: You have outgrown your office. Relocation needed. Costs: reinstatement of old premises (EUR 10,000-25,000) + fit-out of new premises (EUR 30,000-50,000) + deposit for new premises + double rent during transition (1-2 months).
- Total additional relocation costs: EUR 50,000-100,000.
Scenario with a flex office:
- Year 1: 10-15 workstations. Costs: approximately EUR 81,000-117,000.
- Year 2: You scale up to 25-30 workstations with the same provider or move to a larger unit. No reinstatement costs, no new fit-out, no deposit on furniture.
- Additional scaling costs: nil to EUR 5,000 (administration and potential moving).
For growing businesses, the difference can amount to tens of thousands of euros per year. And the time savings — being able to focus on your business rather than property management — have not even been factored in.
Hybrid solutions: the best of both worlds
An increasing number of companies are opting for a hybrid model: their own head office on a fixed lease, combined with flexible satellite locations for employees who want to work closer to home. This model has gained popularity due to the increase in hybrid working since 2020.
Advantages of the hybrid model:
- A smaller, more affordable head office (less m² needed because not everyone is present every day)
- Flexible workstations at multiple locations without long-term commitments
- Attractive for employees: less commuting, more freedom of choice
- Lower total occupancy costs compared to one large central office
Many flex office providers now offer enterprise subscriptions giving employees access to an entire network of locations. With 15 employees of whom 8-10 are in the office daily, you could take a fixed office for 10 workstations and resolve the rest via flex. The saving can be 20-30 per cent compared to an office fitted out for the entire team.
Decision model: which option suits you?
Use the following questions to determine which office solution best fits your situation:
- How many employees do you have? Up to 20: flex is often more cost-effective. Over 30: fixed is often more cost-effective.
- How stable is your occupancy? Growth phase: choose flex. Stable: fixed may be more cost-effective.
- How important is your own identity? Very important: choose your own office or managed office. Less relevant: flex will suffice.
- What is your time horizon? Less than three years: flex. More than five years: fixed. In between: calculate both options.
- Do you have specific technical requirements? Lab, studio, server room: fixed. Standard office work: flex works fine.
The choice between flex and fixed is not a matter of principle — it is a calculation. And that calculation works out differently for every business. Take the time to compute both options including all costs, not just the headline rent. Want to learn more about additional costs? Also read our article on hidden costs when renting commercial property. And if you already know you want a fixed lease, read our complete guide to renting office space.
