How to find a business property in the UK
Finding the right property in the right location - near customers, staff, transport hubs and supply chains - can be important to your success.
Finding the right property in the right location - near customers, staff, transport hubs and supply chains - can be important to your success.
Company leases typically run for 10 to 15 years with reviews every 5 years, although shorter terms are becoming more common. It may be possible to negotiate “break clauses” at set times throughout the lease. These enable the occupier to serve notice to vacate premises.
When renting a business property, you need to be aware of your responsibilities as a tenant.
Find out about the legal responsibilities of business property rental on GOV.UK.
There are various property options available to businesses throughout the UK including leased offices, serviced offices and industrial properties.
They range in size from a single desk to large offices. Companies can usually move into a new serviced office within a week. Leases can be as short as one month and all costs are combined into one monthly payment.
Providers may charge additional fees for services like internet access, telephones, printers, and meeting rooms.
Office advisory websites like Instant Offices or Flexi Offices can help with your search.
Shared offices are also known as coworking spaces, coworking offices and coworking desks. They can be a practical choice for companies in the early stages of expanding to a new market.
You can rent the number of desks you need in a shared office more cheaply and with less commitment than a long rental agreement on a private office space.
Shared offices can have 24-hour access, and facilities usually include high-speed internet and printing. Many also have meeting and conference rooms, which may be free as part of your desk rental or available at extra cost.
There are dozens of shared office providers operating across the UK. You can compare their prices and facilities on listing websites such as Rubberdesk or Hubble.
You can also search shared office providers directly:
There are approximately 100 science parks in the UK which provide commercial property options to support the start-up and development of knowledge-based businesses. Most science parks have formal links with universities, institutes and research organisations.
Science parks, innovation centres and incubators support over 4,000 companies in the UK.
Find out more about the UK's science parks on the UKSPA website.
There is a wide choice of industrial and distribution properties across the UK. Since 2020, most warehouse construction activity was in the larger size band of over 100,000 square feet.
You can find and compare industrial units on a commercial property search engine, such as CBRE, Colliers and JLL.
Buying property in the UK is a straightforward process and, importantly, there are no restrictions on overseas companies.
In addition to property price, buyers must also pay Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) based on both the transaction size and property location.
Find out more UK stamp duty land tax rates on GOV.UK.
In Scotland, SDLT does not apply. Instead, you will pay Land and Buildings Transaction Tax.
Find out about Scotland’s Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) rates on gov.scot.
In Wales, SDLT does not apply. Instead, you will pay Land Transaction Tax.
Find out about Wales’s stamp duty land tax rates on gov.wales.
If you rent or buy a property, you may have to pay business rates. Small businesses can apply for a discount on business rates and some may pay nothing.
Business rates are charged on most non-domestic properties, like:
Different regions and nations in the UK offer a range of benefits for international businesses.
Learn more about the UK's nations and regions.
Find details of businesses with expertise in helping companies set up in the UK in our Investment Support Directory.