Temporary office space can be rented for an important meeting or as a short-term base of operations for you and your employees. We looked at the most popular options and rising stars and decided to review LiquidSpace, Regus, and ShareDesk. These companies covered the range of options for small businesses in terms of ease of use, features, and price.
Best Temporary Office Space Provider for Small Businesses: LiquidSpace
We recommend LiquidSpace as the best temporary office space provider because it has connected tens of thousands of providers and renters. At competitive prices, LiquidSpace offers a range of locations, amenities, and types of spaces to meet your business’ needs.
Another great option: Servcorp
We didn’t review Servcorp in this article because their focus is only on the ten largest cities in the US. However, if you happen to be in one of these cities, they would be our top choice. They are also our favorite pick when it comes to virtual office space. Click here to get in touch with a Servcorp representative today.
LiquidSpace vs Regus vs ShareDesk Summary Table
 LiquidSpace |  Regus |  ShareDesk |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Best For | Most small businesses and solo entrepreneurs because of their vast network of spaces | Full service spaces that are centrally managed by an industry leader | Small businesses or solo entrepreneurs who are better served by shared coworking spaces |
| Pricing From* Learn More | Private Office
| Private Office
| Private Office
|
| Locations Learn More | Over 6,650 office spaces in 1,800 cities Search locations here | Over 3,000 locations in 900 cities Search locations here | Over 4,500 office spaces in 691 cities Search locations here |
| Available Amenities Learn More | Varies by location | All locations have:
| Varies by location |
| Website |
*Cost is per person pricing based on an office address on, or near, Wall Street in New York, NY. However, these prices are only meant as a comparison guide; they will vary based on location and services used. Please contact each provider for an exact quote.
Best Temporary Office Space Provider for Small Businesses: LiquidSpace
We recommend LiquidSpace as the best overall temporary office space provider for small businesses. LiquidSpace has disrupted the office space industry, connecting providers with renters in much the same way that Airbnb has residentially. Because of the vast number of users in LiquidSpace’s network, there’s an almost endless variety of spaces available to meet your needs.
If you’ve ever used Airbnb before, then LiquidSpace’s interface will be immediately familiar. Available office spaces are listed and shown on a map, and you can filter the options by various criteria, such as price, duration of time, type of space, and even the amenities the spaces include. Rental is managed through the website directly. You’ll receive a standardized lease agreement, and you can schedule a tour of a space to see it in person before agreeing to rent it.
One of the potential downsides to LiquidSpace is that, because it’s a service that connects providers with renters, the spaces themselves can be of varying quality and may not offer all of the amenities or services that you need. This means that the available amenities, services, and quality of office can vary widely depending on its location.
LiquidSpace does not actually lease or maintain office spaces themselves. Instead, office space is operated and maintained by whoever owns the building or is leasing the office space as a whole. LiquidSpace also focuses more on short-term rentals, with daily and hourly options available. If you want a long-term commitment, Regus is going to be the better option.
Renting a professionally managed temporary office space from Regus gives you the assurance of a minimum standard of quality. As well, a larger and more centralized provider like Regus will have access to more prestigious commercial real estate properties, which may be important to you if your purpose for renting one is as much for the appearance as it is for functionality.
Best Full Service Temporary Office Space Provider: Regus
We recommend Regus as the best full service temporary office space provider. Regus offers temporary office space in the largest number of cities, which means they have a presence in almost any market. And because they’re the largest provider and centrally managed, here are some of the benefits you can expect:
- Working with a centrally managed company may provide you with the assurance of a minimum standard of quality across all of their properties.
- If you have a diverse client base and travel to various cities and countries, you have the highest likelihood of being able to host them in one of Regus’ locations.
- It’s more likely that they will be able to offer the right combination of location, features, and services for your business.
- There’s a higher likelihood that you’ll have access to a more prestigious address if your appearance to your clients is a concern to you.
As well, Regus was very quick to respond to our inquiries for more information and delivered it clearly, concisely, and professionally. While customer reviews of Regus’ service on third-party websites is mixed, our experience was positive.
Although you may end up paying a bit more with Regus than with LiquidSpace or ShareDesk, they do provide an excellent level of service. Each space comes complete with a receptionist and a consistent offering of amenities, including high-speed internet and access to meeting and conference rooms. A receptionist not only means that visitors will be greeted professionally but also will enable you to receive mail and package drop-offs when renting office space for more than a few days.
The two main downsides to using Regus, is that they’re usually more expensive, and it can be confusing at times to confirm prices without an actual office in mind because they price each service separately. You pay a base rent for the space, and the use of other amenities can often come at an additional cost, depending on the location.
Another Option for Temporary Office Space: ShareDesk
ShareDesk’s services are geared more towards freelancers and solo entrepreneurs, so their network includes more choices for hourly, half-day, and daily office rentals. ShareDesk’s network includes great working spaces for people who are simply looking to get out of the house for a few hours, a day, or who need temporary office space quickly. ShareDesk focuses more on short-term rentals, like LiquidSpace.
Like LiquidSpace, ShareDesk connects business professionals with office space providers, which can be individuals or businesses with extra space or management companies leveraging ShareDesk’s community. On the one hand, this means you’ll have access to an extensive range of office spaces and can choose a price point within your budget. On the other hand, the quality of service will vary by location.
In-Depth Review: LiquidSpace vs Regus vs ShareDesk
Price
Because of the different rental and pricing structures of LiquidSpace, Regus, and ShareDesk it’s not possible to present an apples to apples comparison. Pricing will vary based on the specific location, services used, and term length of contract — and because LiquidSpace and ShareDesk connect renters with providers, they don’t have control over the pricing themselves.
We will present a typical use case for each provider that’s based on a virtual office address near Wall Street in New York, NY. However, these prices are only meant as a comparison guide; they will vary based on location and services used. Please contact each provider for an exact quote.
LiquidSpace
| Private Office | Coworking Space | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing From: |
Regus
| Private Office | Coworking Space | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing From: |
ShareDesk
| Private Office | Coworking Space | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing From: |
Types of Office Spaces & Duration of Rental
Because LiquidSpace, ShareDesk, and Regus have different operating models, you can expect to have access to different types of office spaces with different rental terms available. We explain what you can expect below.
Available Amenities
Sometimes, you need more than just a place to work. It can make your day easier if you have access to certain amenities, such as kitchen amenities and fast WiFi. In addition, if you meet a lot of clients or accept a lot of calls, a business lounge and call answering services will be useful to you.
ShareDesk: Because ShareDesk doesn’t directly manage the office spaces on their network, the amenities you have access to will vary by location. These will be up to the provider of the space, who you can contact to confirm before making your booking.
All Temporary Office Space Provider Options for Small Businesses
We recognize that there are many temporary office space provider options out there. Here’s a look at the best from our research:
| Service Provider | Overview |
|---|---|
| LiquidSpace | Best overall for small businesses |
| Regus | Centrally managed means standardized amenities |
| ShareDesk | Another option for coworking spaces |
| Instant Offices | Long term office space rentals (three-month minimum) |
| Breather | Ad hoc and instant bookings, hours prior to room usage |
| WeWork | Creative coworking spaces for tech startups |
Bottom Line: Best Temporary Office Space Providers
Temporary office space is an economical solution for small and growing businesses, from solo entrepreneurs to startups. You have extensive options in terms of the kind of environment, administrative support, space size, and flexibility of rental duration.
For most small businesses, we recommend LiquidSpace as the best option to connect you with the right temporary office space because of their vast network and flexibility.
Sonny Hotchkiss
I was drawn to Regus b/c of the international presence. However — I am a small business and my business is local to the Tampa Bay area. When I look back on my three months there I get sick to my stomach. It was a temporary solution but they are not small business friendly. I signed for 2 months and each month was $1850 (that was the cheaper inside offices and this one, next to the bathroom that you could hear everyone go into). I added a third month b/c the location I was moving to was not ready. I alerted them on the 1st week of the second month. They said OK, BUT, they would charge me 2 months of a deposit (3600 + cost of additional month) — I said I didn’t want to pay the deposit and found a way not to — we were already renting. ONE day later I tried to cancel it and they would not let me b/c I had signed the doc that night. I finally found different space that was much more affordable. So I paid the 1800 for the month that we didn’t need. Then, just a few weeks ago, I got a bill for $550 for repainting. I never touched the walls and at most, there was one person in that office. I cannot find it on my contract — only on some contracts online. I had already paid $5400 for 3 months for an office that could hold 2 people — no phones (we used cell phone), no virtual office benefits, no conference rooms unless paying additional $150/hr — I am fighting them on the “painting fee” – I asked for pictures and so far have not been given them. My brokerage pays for Businessworld memberships and we got no discounts on anything for that — they issued us a second membership. Regus staff was very nice but you could tell they were very frustrated with their corporate office. Every bill I got was wrong. 🙁 ..
Hi Sonny,
Thanks for sharing your experience with us. First-hand accounts like yours add a valuable balance to our reviews.
G
Frank D Blegan
This is such a paid placement article, but I guess even Jason has to make a living. For what it’s worth, I just discovered Croissant in NY, Washington, and SF (I think) and have had a good experience so far. Much cheaper rates than the options listed here.
Frank,
Thanks for commenting. This is not actually a paid advertisement and I don’t get paid anything for commissions.
When approaching our guides, we are looking to review companies that have the best chance of being applicable to all of our US readers. I don’t doubt that Croissant might be a great deal, but since it only services 3 US cities, it isn’t really an option we could include in our guide.
If we reviewed all the local office providers, we would have 100’s of pages in the article, and nobody would want to read that!
Thanks for your comment and I hope that clarifies things a bit!
Jason
Sareh
I am looking for a temporary / rented office space for 10 people, one week (starting Monday, Dec 12th) with the possibility of extension, with two small meeting rooms (preferably), Wi-Fi, phones if possible. We are looking in Burnaby, Coquitlam or Port Moody, BC.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sarah,
Your best bet is probably Regus. They have 3 office space locations available for rent in Burnaby and 1 in Port Moody.
Hope that helps!
Jason
Cherie
In my only experience with Regus, they are not honest: I received an email from them this month with the banner line “New Business Center in Holliston NOW OPEN!” Below that, an enticement to “Try a free day office today at our center in Holliston.” When I called, the poor woman at the other end said there is no such thing: the closest space is two towns over.
Cherie,
That’s a bummer. You didn’t hear anything more after that?
Jason
Scott Smith
Another great option is Intelligent Office, which was founded in 1995 by serial entrepreneur Ralph Gregory, the “Father of Virtual Offices,” and now has over 50 franchise locations in the U.S. and Canada.
Scott,
Thanks for the heads up. We’ll have to check them out for our next update.
Jason
Scott
You’re very welcome!