What to check when viewing a London office

When viewing a London office, check the arrival route and the neighbours. Look at light and layout, then condition, toilets, kitchen and any access hours the landlord states. Ask for rent, rates, service charge and lease length in writing. Morgan Pryce Partners Limited arranges viewings and negotiates terms, as its City of London page describes.

What should you settle before you go?

A viewing works best when you already know what you need. Without that, every floor looks possible. Don't guess.

Start with headcount and how your people work. Count the desks you need. Count the meeting rooms you use each week. Add any space for storage or for calls. Visitors need room too. Our office space calculator in the Knowledge Hub can give you a starting figure. Write that figure down and take it with you. You'll need it on the floor.

Next, agree a budget range that covers more than rent. Business rates and service charge sit on top of the headline figure. Fit out may add more if the space is not ready to use. The fit out calculator in the Knowledge Hub can help you test the numbers.

Decide on the format too. A traditional leasehold office carries different terms from a serviced office. A managed office is different again. Our tenant advisory and flexible office service covers all 3, so we'll help you compare them on paper first.

Finally, think about who should attend. You'll want someone who knows the daily work.

What should you look at on the floor?

Arrive the way your staff would. Walk from the nearest station rather than taking a taxi. Notice the route and the street. Notice the entrance too. In Soho, for example, the area page lists Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road. Leicester Square is nearby too. Look at the neighbours as well. Who shares the building?

Then look at the space itself. Note which way the windows face and how far daylight reaches into the floor. Check columns and corners. Room shapes can limit desk plans or meeting rooms. Look at ceilings and floors, then windows, and any visible wear on fittings. Check the toilets and the kitchen, including how many there are and who shares them. Ask the landlord or agent to state access hours and entry systems. Ask about weekend rules too.

Take photos. Mark them by floor. After 3 or 4 viewings, spaces blur together quickly, and a clear record will save you from guessing later. It's also worth listening for noise from the street or from plant on the roof.

Remember that a viewing is a visual check. It isn't a survey.

What should you ask about cost, lease and timing?

Ask for each cost line separately. Rent should have its own figure. So should business rates. The service charge needs one too. Ask for them in writing. Published ranges can help you judge whether a quote looks sensible. The City of London area page, read 13 Nov 2026, lists rents from around £45.00 to £110.00 per square foot, with an all in cost usually between £70.50 and £150.00 per square foot. These are published figures. They're not a formal valuation. Our Mayfair office space page gives the matching ranges for that district.

For business rates, check the official position rather than relying on a quoted guess. GOV.UK's introduction to business rates explains how rates work and who sets the rateable value.

Service charge needs its own questions. Ask what it covers and how it's calculated. Ask for recent figures if the landlord will share them. Our post on London office service charges sets out what to look for.

On the lease, ask about length. Ask about break clauses too. Then ask about rent reviews, repair obligations and what happens at the end of the term. The Code for Leasing Business Premises, published by RICS, sets out what landlords and tenants should expect during lease negotiations. It's a useful reference before you agree terms.

Ask about timing too. When is the space available? Is any work still due before you can move in? If you need help with planning space and shortlisting buildings, our relocation and workplace strategy service covers those stages, including fit out coordination.

Key takeaways

• Settle headcount and budget before you book any viewings. Agree the format too.
• Arrive by the route your staff will use.
• Check light and layout. Then check condition, toilets, kitchen and stated access hours.
• Ask for rent separately from business rates. Ask for the service charge in writing too.
• Use official GOV.UK guidance on rates and the RICS Code for Leasing Business Premises.
• Keep photos and notes for every space you see.

When a viewing checklist is not the right fit

A viewing checklist has limits. If you have already exchanged contracts, the time to raise most of these points has passed. Our lease advisory and disposal service may then be more useful, for example at a renewal or rent review.

You may also need a formal building survey. A walk round cannot confirm structural condition or services. It can't confirm compliance either, and we won't present it as if it could. Commission a qualified surveyor for that.

If you're buying rather than renting, the checks widen. Due diligence then matters far more than a single visit.