What’s Involved in Sharing Office Space

Here are key issues you need to agree on when sharing office or other work space.

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• splitting the cost of the common space equally regardless of how much private space each sharer uses
• pro-rating the cost of the common space based on how much private space each sharer uses
• pro-rating the cost of the common space based on how much of the common space each sharer uses, or
• limiting use of common space to tenants who want to pay for its use, and then splitting or pro-rating cost among the users.

You'll also need to discuss how you'll keep the common space clean; what standard of tidiness you want to maintain in the administrative area; how you'll calendar use of the conference room, and how you want the space to look.

Use our sample office sharing agreement as a model for your own agreement.

Also, check out our other resources on commercial leases, including Negotiate the Best Lease for Your Business, by Janet Portman and Fred Steingold (Nolo), which explains the standard clauses and provisions of a commercial lease and offers advice for reaching a fair lease agreement with your landlord. Also, eForms are available for download from our website, on how to create or amend a commercial sublease or get a landlord's written consent to a sublease.