Renting an office in Soho
Soho packs more creative businesses into a square mile than almost anywhere in Europe. Film and TV post-production houses, advertising and branding agencies, music companies and a growing number of tech and fashion brands work within a few streets of each other, surrounded by restaurants, bars and private members' clubs.
That concentration comes at a price. At around £891 per desk per month, Soho is one of the most expensive places in London to rent flexible space, well above the wider West End average of about £644. What you pay for is the address, the neighbours and the chance to walk to a client meeting in five minutes.
The buildings themselves are rarely large. Much of Soho's stock is converted Georgian and Victorian townhouses, warehouses and former studios, which gives the offices character but often means smaller floorplates, narrower staircases and fewer lifts than in Fitzrovia or the City. Larger teams should expect to look at the edges of the area, around Oxford Street, Charing Cross Road and Tottenham Court Road, where newer developments sit. [Add your own market notes: availability, typical incentives and where prices are moving this quarter.]