Lease or coworking: 6 questions to decide
In What an office really costs for a team of eight, we listed everything a lease drags along with it. The real question remains: for your company, lease or coworking? Here are six questions that settle it, with a worked example and the cases where a lease is still the right choice.
1. How long are you sure of your team?
A commercial lease is usually signed for five years, on a fixed floor area. If you know where your team will be in five years, that is a reasonable commitment. If you are unsure about next year, it is a bet. In coworking, the 12-month commitment gives the best rate without being mandatory, and you change offices without moving when the team changes.
2. Do you have the upfront cash?
Before the first workday, a bare space needs fit-out, furniture and cabling. Our calculations allow $75 to $100 per sq. ft. of fit-out, of which the landlord often pays $25 to $30: that leaves about $45 per sq. ft. for you. Add about $2,000 of furniture per person and $5,000 for networking and phones. For three people in 500 sq. ft., that is about $33,500 out of pocket up front. A coworking space is already fitted out, furnished and connected.
3. What is the real monthly cost?
Here is a real example, calculated on October 23, 2026 with our comparison tool: a team of three in Royalmount that wants a private office.
| Standard lease, 500 sq. ft., 5 years | Per month |
|---|---|
| Gross rent ($27.32 per sq. ft. per year) | $1,140 |
| Fit-out, financed at 8% over 5 years | $455 |
| Managing the space and the landlord | $330 |
| Internet and phone | $150 |
| Cleaning | $145 |
| Furniture, financed at 8% over 5 years | $120 |
| Cabling, network and phones | $85 |
| Coffee | $70 |
| Repairs | $40 |
| Total under a standard lease | $2,535 |
At Hedhofis, a three-seat private office with a window in Royalmount cost $1,664 a month that day with a 12-month commitment, furnished, with internet, cleaning and coffee. The difference: $871 a month, and no upfront cash outlay. The lease rent is the average asking gross rent in the Midtown sector according to Cushman & Wakefield (Q2 2026); electricity, insurance, deposit and moving costs are not counted.
4. Who will manage the space?
With a lease, someone on the team becomes a building manager: the internet provider, cleaning, repairs, the landlord. Our comparison tool counts that time at 15% of rent and charges, because it has a value even if it never shows up on an invoice. In coworking, those calls are no longer yours.
5. Do you need a truly custom space?
This is where a lease often wins. A lab, a warehouse, a showroom, a sign on the building or a very specific fit-out call for a space of your own. The same goes for a large, stable team that knows it will stay ten years in the same place. In those cases, signing a lease is a sound choice, and we will tell you so. In between, our corporate suites in Brossard can be adjusted to your needs; depending on the scope of the work, fees may apply.
6. Do your employees all work in the same place?
A lease gives you one address. If your people live in Montreal, on the South Shore, in Quebec City or in Trois-Rivières, Hedhofis has eight locations in those regions. Access to all eight locations is included with some plans and optional with others. For a hybrid team, that is often what tips the balance.
Run the numbers for your team
Our online proposal makes this comparison for your location and headcount, line by line, with the offices actually available. It also shows honestly when a lease comes out cheaper. To see the space before you decide, the trial day is free.