Office Cost Per Desk Calculator 2025/26
Calculate the true cost per desk in your office for 2025/26 — including rent, business rates, service charge, utilities, IT and furniture — and model the impact of hybrid working on effective cost per employee.
Key Inputs
- Annual office rent (£)
- Annual business rates (£) — or use our business rates calculator
- Annual service charge (£)
- Annual utilities: electricity, gas, water (£)
- Annual cleaning, maintenance and facilities management (£)
- Number of physical desks
- Total headcount (may be higher than desks under hybrid model)
- Hybrid working: average days in office per week (0-5)
What You'll Get
- Total annual occupancy cost (£)
- Cost per desk per year (£)
- Cost per desk per day in office (£)
- Cost per employee per year (at hybrid ratio)
- Effective savings vs 5-day in-office (£) for each hybrid day removed
Important Notes — 2025/26 Rates & Caveats
London office costs 2025: Grade A West End £130-£160/sq ft/year; City of London £70-£90/sq ft/year; Canary Wharf £55-£70/sq ft/year. Regional cities: Manchester £35-£50/sq ft/year; Leeds £25-£40; Bristol £35-£50; Birmingham £30-£45; Edinburgh £35-£55. Average desk space allocation: 8-12 sq ft per workstation in modern open-plan. Business rates standard multiplier 2025/26: 54.6p per £1 of rateable value; small business rate relief available for rateable value under £15,000. Most businesses now plan for 60-70% desk ratio under hybrid working (6-7 desks per 10 employees).
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a desk cost per year in a London office?
Typically £8,000-£15,000 including all occupancy costs (rent, rates, service charge and utilities) in central London. Grade A West End space at £150/sq ft with a 10 sq ft desk allocation costs £1,500/year in rent per desk alone; add rates (£700-900), service charge (£400-600) and utilities (£300-500) for a total of £2,900-£3,500/desk/year in rent+rates+utilities — higher once IT, facilities management and furniture are included. Regional cities: £3,000-£6,000 per desk per year all-in.
How has hybrid working changed office space requirements?
Most UK businesses now plan for a 60-70% desk ratio — fewer desks than headcount. A 10-person team on a typical 3-day hybrid pattern needs approximately 6-7 desks rather than 10, reducing space and cost by 30-40%. However, peak-day demand (typically Tuesday-Thursday) can still create desk shortages. Desk booking systems (hot-desking) are now standard in large organisations. Some organisations have moved to full flexible working and given up leases entirely, using serviced offices or co-working on demand.
What is a typical business rates cost for office space?
Standard business rates multiplier for 2025/26: 54.6p per £1 of rateable value (RV). Small business rate relief: 100% relief for RV up to £12,000; tapered relief from £12,001 to £15,000. Example: an office with a £50,000 rateable value pays 50,000 × 54.6p = £27,300/year in rates, reduced by any relief. Rateable values were last revalued in April 2023 (based on April 2021 rental evidence). Empty property rates apply after a 3-month rate-free period: 100% rates payable on vacant commercial property.
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