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What is Temporary Office Space?
Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick
Temporary office space is usually commercial property rented or leased by a company or small business owner until a more permanent location can be found. There can be many reasons for leasing office space temporarily. The project itself may be temporary in nature, such as fulfilling a single government contract or overseeing a construction project. Once the project is completed, there is no further need for office equipment or workers.
Some temporary office space is offered to small business owners who are not ready to build a permanent factory or professional offices. Facilities who rent or lease office space temporarily for start-up companies are often called 'business incubators'. Individual businesses may share common spaces such as waiting rooms and reception areas, but are also given enough private space to produce their products and support a core staff. Once the company or service has outgrown its temporary space, it finds a more permanent arrangement and another young company is free to lease the property.
Commercial buildings often contain unused suites of office space which can be leased or rented. In the aftermath of 9/11, dozens of companies previously housed in the World Trade Center scrambled to find temporary office space in Manhattan and surrounding areas. Some of these companies may choose to remain in their new offices permanently, but others may be waiting for the new trade center to reopen. Other companies who suddenly lose their permanent facilities may also opt for temporary office space until their own offices are rebuilt.
Another popular use of this type of office space is for political campaigns. Candidates seeking national or state election may use campaign funding to rent office space in key cities. This allows volunteers to operate phone banks, store campaign literature, discuss campaign strategies and solicit donations without having to pay for a long-term lease. After the election season, these temporary office spaces become available for local interests again.
Perhaps the most controversial use of temporary office space occurs with transient businesses, such as telephone solicitors (boiler rooms), temporary employment centers, and fund raising teams. Owners of commercial office space are not required to investigate the nature of a potential tenant, and often these transient businesses will offer substantial rental payments to reduce interference from inquisitive landlords. It's not unusual to see an entire company disappear overnight in a midnight move-out, leaving nothing but the bare walls of the rented office space.
Michael Pollick
A regular WiseGEEK contributor, Michael enjoys doing research in order to satisfy his wide-ranging curiosity about a variety of arcane topics. Before becoming a professional writer, Michael worked as an English tutor, poet, voice-over artist, and DJ.
Learn more...
Michael Pollick
A regular WiseGEEK contributor, Michael enjoys doing research in order to satisfy his wide-ranging curiosity about a variety of arcane topics. Before becoming a professional writer, Michael worked as an English tutor, poet, voice-over artist, and DJ.
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![Commercial buildings with unused office spaces may rent them out as temporary work spaces.]()
By: Monkey BusinessCommercial buildings with unused office spaces may rent them out as temporary work spaces. -
![Some temporary office space is offered to small business owners.]()
By: Andres RodriguezSome temporary office space is offered to small business owners.
Discussion Comments
Where can I find listings for temporary office space rental? I see a lot of ads for one year leases but I have had a terrible time finding anything that I can rent for less than 6 months which is all that I need.
You would think that in a city like Chicago that has a lot of offices sitting empty they would be eager to get anyone in there for any amount of time but I cannot even find a listing, let alone a nice space. Does anyone have any tips for finding this kind of office space?
So if you are considering getting temporary office space, sit down and really consider your needs moving forward. It may be worth it to commit to a more long term lease.
That's good advice, vigilant. I have found in my own limited experience that many larger cities have office supply stores that will rent or lease essential business equipment such as copiers, fax machines and telephone systems. It's possible, but not always convenient, for a new business group to rent an unfurnished office space and have all of that equipment delivered to them within a few days.
Office furniture may be a different story, however. Some office equipment rental places also offer furniture, but not all. This may be a job for a different kind of store. A traditional rental store might have a few suitable tables and chairs available to support workers, but office furniture is not the same as home furniture. Having a dozen living room couches and end tables situated around the office space probably won't project the same professional tone as task chairs, computer desks and cubicles.
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