Terms and conditions

General Terms and Conditions

HOUSE RULES │ United Kingdom January 2024

These are our House Rules which may change from time to time and apply to all our facilities operating under different brands.

Accommodation

1. Centre access: Office and Co-working customers have 24/7 access to their centre (unless local restrictions apply). Virtual Office and Membership customers have access to centres during manned hours (Weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) unless otherwise arranged with the Community Manager of the designated centre. We shall provide use of conference rooms and private offices subject to availability and upon reservation only. We shall also provide business and administrative support services on demand (to the extent available). Use of these services may be subject to additional fees.
2. You may not put up any signs on the doors of your accommodation or anywhere else that is visible from outside the rooms you are using without written approval from the local business centre team. We reserve the right to charge a fee for any signage and to specify its design to ensure it remains in keeping with the Centre's design.
3. Taking care of your property: You must take good care of all parts of the business centre, its equipment, fittings and furnishings that you use. You must not alter any part of it.
4. Keys and security: Any keys or entry cards which we let you use remain our property at all times. You must not make any copies of the keys and/or entry cards or allow anyone else to use them without our consent. Any loss must be reported to us immediately and you must pay a reasonable fee for replacement keys or cards and of changing locks, if required. Access Devices (Keys, Cards, Fobs) – Access Devices to the building, centre, and offices are limited to the number of occupied workstations. Additional devices may be purchased for a one-time activation fee, fee is available upon request. Where applicable, all persons receiving access devices must complete the ID verification process, including two forms of ID, one being a photo ID. Access Devices (Keys, Cards, Fobs) – Access Devices to the building, centre, and offices are limited to the number of occupied workstations. Additional devices may be purchased for a one-time activation fee, fee is available upon request. Where applicable, all persons receiving access devices must complete the ID verification process, including two forms of ID, one being a photo ID. This rule improves security levels of the business centre. If you are permitted to use the business centre outside normal working hours, it is your responsibility to lock the doors to your accommodation and to the business centre when you leave. This is to ensure the safety of individuals and property at the business centre.
5. Day Office and Coworking monthly allocation policy: Cancelation of a Day Office or Coworking booking less than 10 days from the booking date will not be refunded to the monthly allocated days. The monthly allocated days cannot be carried over to future months or used for meeting rooms. Private office assignment is at our sole discretion and all usage subject to our house rules.
6. Upon move in: We will ask you to sign an inventory of all accommodation, furniture and equipment you are permitted to use, together with a note of its condition, and details of the keys or entry cards issued to you.

Use

7. You shall not leave open any corridor doors, exit doors or door connecting corridors during or after business hours. For security purposes and if you do so, it will be at your own risk. All corridors, halls, elevators and stairways shall not be obstructed by you or used for any purpose other than egress and ingress. You can only use public areas with our consent and those areas must always be kept neat and attractive.
8. Your name and address: At your request and cost, we are happy to include your name in the house directory at the business centre, where this facility is available. You must not use our name in any way in connection with their business.
9. You and your guests shall conduct themselves in a business-like manner both inside Your office(s) accommodation and throughout the property; proper business attire shall be worn at all times; the noise level will be kept to a level so as not to interfere with or annoy other customers; and you will abide by our directives regarding security, keys, parking, and other such matters common to all occupants. You agree to maintain your accommodation in good condition throughout the duration of the agreement specifically, your accommodation will be kept clean (e.g., free of rubbish and any food storage) so as not to draw or attract pests/vermin. You confirm your office(s) is free of items not related to general office use, including without limitation medical waste, needles, bodily fluids and the like.
10. Equipment: You shall not, without our prior written consent, store or operate in your office(s) or the business centre(s), any computer (excepting a personal computer) or any other large business machine, reproduction equipment, heating equipment, stove, radio, stereo equipment or other mechanical amplification equipment, audio and/or video surveillance equipment, security alarms, vending or coin operated machine, refrigerator, boiler, or coffee equipment. Additionally, you must not conduct a mechanical business therein, do any cooking therein, park any electricity powered scooters/bikes and similar vehicles, or use or allow to be used in the building where the business centre is located, oil burning fluids, gasoline, kerosene for heating, warming, or lighting. No article deemed hazardous on account of fire, or any explosives shall be brought into the business centre. No offensive gases, odours or liquids shall be permitted. No firearms shall be permitted. The business centre is intended to be used solely for office use.
11. Weapons: No weapons concealed or otherwise, shall be permitted. No member of the community or sales team has the ability to waive this provision, or to authorize you to have weapons on these premises. If you are found to be in violation of this rule, your agreement will be immediately terminated, with zero tolerance.
12. The electrical current shall be used for ordinary lighting, powering personal computers and small appliances only unless written permission to do otherwise shall first have been obtained from us at an agreed cost to you. If you require any special installation or wiring for electrical use, telephone equipment or otherwise, such wiring shall be done at your expense by the personnel designated by us.
13. You may not conduct business in the hallways, reception area or any other area except in your designed office without our prior written consent.
14. You shall bring no animals into the Building other than assistance animals. You shall bring no animals into the Building other than assistance animals.
15. Complimentary Office/Virtual Office Membership: Your complimentary membership can be used in any of our participating locations. Use of our Business Lounges is governed by the membership terms and conditions.
16. Co-work and Office Memberships: All members must check in at reception. Checking in will constitute a day’s usage against the member’s allocated days per month.
17. When booking a day office, you must select the correct number of people to attend. This will ensure the correct size room is available and pricing can be correctly quoted for you. All day office occupants included in the booking may access and use internet services free of charge. The day office customer must provide their guest(s) with the booking reference so they can access the internet. Office Membership customers are permitted one guest free of charge.
18. You shall not use the business centre for manufacturing or storage of merchandise except as such storage may be incidental to general office purposes. You shall not occupy or permit any portion of the business centre to be occupied or used for the manufacture, sale, gift or use of liquor, narcotics or tobacco in any form.
19. No additional locks or bolts of any kind shall be placed upon any of the doors or windows of the business centre by you nor shall any changes be made to existing locks or the mechanisms thereof.
20. All property belonging to you or any of your employees, agents or invitees shall be at the risk of such person only and we shall not be liable for damages thereto or for theft or misappropriation thereof.
21. Smoking: Smoking of any type i.e. nicotine, electronic, vaping or any other form, shall be prohibited in all public areas, including conference and training rooms. No smoking shall be permitted at any time in any area of the Business Centre (including open or closed offices).
22. Health & safety: In order to ensure that all Centre users have a safe and secure working environment, you, your employees and visitors must comply with all health and safety requirements set out by us, by law and as are otherwise applicable to the Centre. Therefore, in the event that you expect to have multiple/numerous visitors, depending on the specific circumstances, we may require you take an additional office or meeting room space at current rates to accommodate those visitors or those visitors may be refused access to the centre. So please discuss any high-volume visitor requirements you may have with your centre team in advance.
23. You will not use the co-working shared space for meetings or free guests. Day offices or meeting rooms should be used to accommodate these needs.
24. Our employees and customers have the right to work and carry out their duties in an environment free from any threatening or abusive behaviour. We reserve the right to terminate your agreement in the event of any such behaviour towards our staff or customers in our centres.
25. You may use your designated office for hybrid working (excluding coworking desks). Hybrid working is defined as having more individuals registered with access to your office than the specified maximum allowable occupants for that office at any one time. The management of individuals accessing your office is your responsibility and should be managed through your online account. At no time may the number of individuals working in your accommodation exceed the maximum number of occupants allowed. A hybrid supplemental monthly fee will be payable by you for each individual above the maximum occupants allowed. This hybrid supplement is £50d.00 per occupant per month.
26. Audio Visual: If playing audio visual content at the Business Centre (whether through their own or the Provider’s equipment), it is the responsibility of The Customer to obtain any relevant third-party licences and/or pay any third-party fees.

Services and obligations

27. Furnished office accommodation: You will not affix anything to the windows, walls or any other part of the office or the business centre or make alterations or additions to the office or the business centre without our prior written consent. Your office(s) and the property will be used in a business-like manner at all times by you and your guests and free of behaviour which could be considered a material breach of the agreement including but not limited to sleeping, inappropriate or indecent conduct, or unsanitary use of the accommodation.
28. Use of the facilities: We are happy to discuss special arrangements for the use of the facilities outside the business centre standard opening hours or, the standard working days where the business centre is located. There may be an additional charge for such special arrangements. This can be discussed at the time of arrangement.
29. All the pay-as-you-use services are subject to the availability of the business centre staff at the time of any service request. We will endeavour to deal with a service request at the earliest opportunity and provide the additional service you require, but we will not be held responsible for any delay.
30. If in our opinion, we decide that a request for any pay-as-you-use service is excessive, we reserve the right to charge an additional fee at our usual published rates based on the time taken to complete the service. This will be discussed and agreed between us at the time you make such a request.
31. Services provided by your Community team will be available during standard opening hours. Internet access and phone lines are available after hours and weekends. Where an active phone line is in use, if you/we move your agreement to another location or your agreement is suspended due to non-payment, your phone number associated with the line will no longer be available and a new number will need to be assigned.
32. Mail acceptance policy: For Virtual Office customers with mail handling service, we will not accept any items exceeding 4.5 kgs (10 lbs.) in weight, 46 cms (18”) in any dimension, 0.03 cubic meters (1 cubic foot) in volume. Items of larger size will only be accepted upon mutual prior agreement. For all customers, receipt of packages that contain any dangerous, live or perishable goods shall be entitled in our absolute discretion to return any uncollected items or refuse to accept any quantity of items it considers unreasonable or unlawful. We do not guarantee or assume responsibility for any of the services hereunder. Note: We may charge an administrative fee if we feel that there is an excessive volume of mail received and processed by our team on your behalf.
33. We hold no liability over loss or damage of delivered or any in transit goods.
34. In selected centres we use camera recording for security purposes, whereby signage will be clearly posted.
35. Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements: For some services we provide, local regulation may require that we obtain confirmation of personal and business identification/documentation from you. Where this is a requirement, we will only be able to commence those services you have contracted for once you have provided the requested information.
36. Harassment: You and your officers, directors, employees, shareholders, partners, agents, representatives, contractors, customers, or invitees shall be prohibited from participating in any type of harassing, discriminatory or abusive behaviour to our team members, other customers or invitees, verbal or physical in the business centre for any reason. We have a zero tolerance policy towards any workplace harassment and violence. Any breach of this rule is a material breach of your agreement (not capable of remedy), and your agreement may be terminated immediately, and services will be suspended without further notice.
37. Fair usage: Where unlimited services (e.g., telephone calls, printing, scanning etc.) are included within a service package, these are subject to a fair usage as defined by us. We reserve the right to limit or withdraw your use without notice if we feel you are in breach of fair usage.
38. Parking: You and your guests agree to follow and comply with the parking rules we and the building management set forth as it relates to the use of the parking lot. A copy of the rules is available to you upon request or will be posted within the parking area.
39. Disputes: If you dispute any amount in an invoice, you must give us prompt written notice of the disputed amount. You have the duty to prove the disputed amount was billed in error and, if there is an actual billing error, we shall correct it with a credit note, and the outstanding invoice will be immediately payable. If you fail to prove an error in the billing, the disputed amount shall be undisputed, due immediately and subject to applicable late fees.

Our service agreement

40. Cross default: You agree that, if you are in default under any agreement with us (or with any of our affiliates), we may, without prejudice to any other rights, withhold any services to be provided under this agreement with respect to such default (including access to any accommodation). We may use any funds held by way of retainer under this agreement to discharge any unpaid sums due to us (or our affiliates) under any agreement with us (or with any of our affiliates).
41. Company and contact information: It is your responsibility to keep the information and key contact details we use to communicate with you up to date through the app or online account. This includes but is not limited to email addresses, phone numbers and company address.
42. Company name change: If there is a need to change the name of your company, requests must be made through your online account. Please note that you can request to receive up to one previous invoice regenerated with your new company name. This invoice can only be generated for the last three invoices before the date the change was made. Depending on your country there might be additional documentation required before the name change can take effect.
43. Subordination: This agreement is subordinate to our lease or agreement with the owner of the building in which the centre is located and to any other agreements to which our agreement with the building owner is subordinate.
44. Address usage: Our address can be used as a business address but not always as a legal company address. Please check with the Community Team if our building address may be used as a legal company address. Where available and with our approval, you can use our building address as your legal company address whilst there is an active service agreement in place, and you are compliant with local Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations. There is a monthly charge for this service; please confirm pricing with your Community Team. It is your responsibility to remove any reference to our address as your business or legal address when the agreement ends, or you fail to comply with our use of legal address requirements. Failure to do so within ten working days of the agreement end date will result in a charge of GBP 2,000.
45. Online account/app: All day-office and meeting-room bookings, copies of your agreement, correspondence and downloadable statement of account are contained in your online account or on the app. These are accessible at your convenience to actively manage your account. All requests for agreement changes, terminations, and retainer/deposit return requests must be made through your online account or through the app for security and data protection purposes.
46. Each company can receive mail at their home centre but is only allowed one company name per agreement. Office customers may receive mail for each occupant's name. Virtual Office customers may receive mail for up to three named contacts per agreement. Service for additional company names or contacts must be purchased under separate agreements.
47. Nature of our services agreement: We may assign the services agreement at any time without your consent. This clause reflects the fact that you are taking a serviced office agreement and not a lease and that we retain overall control of the business centre. You have no real-property or commercial property interest of any kind in the building where the business centre is located. Where you are a company and it merges with another or you need to allow an affiliate to use the services provided under the services agreement, you will explain the need for any change to us and we will give careful consideration in each case. We need to make sure we know and are satisfied with the identity of each occupant of the business centre.
48. We reserve the right to immediately suspend services and/or terminate the agreement if we determine that our facility or address is being used in connection with possible fraudulent activity or activity that may be a violation of laws or governmental regulations.

Fees

49. Activation fees: There will be a one-time, non-refundable per-occupant fee for Office and Coworking (dedicated desk) customers, a per-location fee for Virtual Office customers and a per-person fee for Memberships. This fee will cover all aspects of onboarding, administration, and setup. For Office and Coworking (dedicated desk) customers, there will be a fee for each new occupant that is added. If there is no occupant, one activation fee will be charged. If there is a move to a different office in the same location no fees will be assessed if the occupants do not increase. For moves to a new location (at your request) all occupants will be assessed a fee as they will have to be set up again at the new location. For Virtual Office customers a new activation fee will only be assessed if there is a move to a new location (at your request). If you switch product (e.g., change from Virtual Office to Office) you will be charged the relevant activation fee for the new product.
50. Standard services: The standard fee and any fixed, recurring services requested by you are billed in advance and payable upon receipt of invoice. Where a daily rate applies, the charge for any such month will be 30 times the standard fee. For a period ofless than a month the standard fee will be applied daily. All services will renew automatically at the prevailing market rate. If you would like to stop a recurring service, please speak with your community team; they will be able to remove the service starting from the next calendar month from your request.
51. Pay-as-you-use (one off) services: Fees for pay-as-you-use services, plus applicable taxes, in accordance with our published rates which may change from time to time, are billed in arrears and payable upon receipt of invoice.
52. Unlimited Coffee & Tea/Kitchen Amenity service: allows you and your visitors access to unlimited self-service coffee and hot beverages and is charged per office occupant. You can opt out of this service through your online account.
53. Office restoration service: A fee of £30 per square metre for each occupied office, will be charged upon your departure or if you, at your option, choose to relocate to different rooms within the centre. We reserve the right to charge additional reasonable fees for any repairs needed above and beyond normal wear and tear.
54. Annual indexation:: For all agreements with a term greater than 12 months, or a month-to-month agreement not terminated within 12 months, the indexation applied is 7%.
55. Business Continuity Service: Business Continuity is a service that is provided for 3 months following your departure (agreement end date) from the business centre, to cover the management of mail, fax, calls and visitors. Prices can be obtained upon request. Description: a. Should any visitors come to the centre, our professional receptionist team will give them the new office address. Also provided is a one-page flyer with your new contact information to make it easy for visitors to find you. b. We will continue to collect mail and faxes to ensure correspondence is not missed. If you choose to have them forwarded to the new address, we will do so at the preferred customer rates and a credit card must be on file. Business Continuity package is not purchased: • Phones will be disabled with no forwarding message. • Mail will be returned to sender. • No information will be given to customers other than they no longer have space there.
56. Late payment: We incur extra costs if you pay late. We will therefore charge you a late payment charge equal to 8% of your overdue balance if the payment is late. If your account becomes grossly overdue, you may be charged further collection fees that we incur in administering your account.
57. Insufficient funds: You will pay a fee of £25 or the maximum amount permitted by law for failed payments due to declined credit cards, insufficient funds from direct debit payments or returned checks.
58. Business Rates: By signing our service agreement you agree to provide information and sign relevant documents to allow The Provider to claim any relief on business rates which at The Provider's risk is already included in your service fee with reference to the Business Centre within 2 working days of such request.
59. Call charges: Charges will not be applied for call transfers to your voicemail but will be applied when transferring a call to a nominated number. Call charges are based on local telecom rates and vary dependent on destination to local, national and international numbers.
60. Mainline answering: The ‘main line answering’ service for any of the Office and Virtual Office products is not intended for main sales lines, large marketing campaigns, call centres and/or main customer support lines. We reserve the right to charge an additional fee of £1 per call, should your business exceed 60 calls a month.
61. Retainer/deposit: For Office customers, retainers are calculated at least two times the highest agreed monthly fee during the term, unless otherwise agreed in writing. For Virtual Office and Co-Working customers, retainers are calculated at least one time the highest agreed monthly fee during the term, unless otherwise agreed in writing. Top up retainers are charged automatically to meet the minimum amount for each product which is calculated upon renewal or when moving to a different office.
62. Heating and air-conditioning (HVAC): Where HVAC is provided in the building and on the floor, it will be available during our business hours. Any out of hours requests for additional HVAC may incur a fee. Please speak to your Community Team for more information.
63. Taxes: The Customer will pay all current taxes paid by The Provider to any government authority. This currently applies to the Carbon Levy and VAT Liability.
64. Mail: You release us from any liability arising out of or incurred in connection with any mail or packages sent or received on your behalf.

Force majeure

65. We shall have no liability to you under this agreement if it is prevented from, or delayed in, performing its obligations under this agreement or from carrying on its business by acts, events, omissions or accidents beyond its reasonable control, including (without limitation) strikes, failure of a utility service or transport network, act of God, war, riot, civil commotion, malicious damage, disease or quarantine restrictions compliance with any law or governmental order, rule, regulation or direction, accident, fire, flood, storm or default of suppliers or subcontractors. Our obligation to perform its obligations shall be suspended during the period required to remove such force majeure event. We shall notify you as soon as reasonably possible of the force majeure event and propose a suitable alternative accommodation (if any) in the same business centre or in another available business centre.

IT and technology policy

66. Introduction This policy applies where you wish to use our Telecommunication and Internet connectivity services and equipment. We are considered a Downstream Service Provider (DSP), which means we provide a personalised connection to the Internet which is managed and protected via a firewall. Our Internet service provides you with an Internet connection that provides regular business activity such as web browsing, the ability to send and receive electronic communications, access to business applications and the like.
67. Our Internet and telecommunications a. Content. You acknowledge that we do not monitor the content of information transmitted through our telecommunications lines or equipment, which includes, but is not limited to, Internet access, telephone, fax lines and data lines (“Telecommunications Lines”). You further acknowledge that we are merely providing a conduit for your Internet transmissions, similar to a telephone company, and that we accept no liability for the content of transmissions by you. b. Restrictions. Our Internet service may be used only for lawful purposes and shall not be used in connection with any criminal or civil violations of state, federal, or international laws, regulations, or other government requirements. Such violations include without limitation theft or infringement of copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, or other types of intellectual property; fraud; forgery; theft or misappropriation of funds, credit cards, or personal information; violation of export control laws or regulations; libel or defamation; threats of physical harm or harassment; or any conduct that constitutes a criminal offence or gives rise to civil liability. You are responsible for maintaining the basic security and virus protection of your systems to prevent their use by others in a manner that violates the service agreement. You are responsible for taking corrective actions on vulnerable or exploited systems to prevent continued abuse. c. You cannot interfere or install equipment that interferes with or disrupts the functioning of our own equipment or the equipment of our other customers. This will be considered as a breach to these house rules. d. We take no responsibility for personal or other third-party data that belongs to customers and is left on our copiers or visible on the network. e. Security violations. You are prohibited from engaging in any violations of system or network security. Our Internet service may not be used in connection with attempts - whether or not successful - to violate the security of a network, service, or other system. Examples of prohibited activities include, without limitation, hacking, cracking into, monitoring, or using systems without authorization; scanning ports; conducting denial of service attacks; and distributing viruses or other harmful software. We reserve the right to suspend the Internet access upon notification from a recognized Internet authority or ISP regarding such abuse. We may disconnect your equipment and withhold services if we consider that your hardware or software is, or has become, inappropriate for connection to our network. You are responsible for your own virus or malware protection on your systems and hardware. f. Our Internet services are only available at our locations and connection to our network is only permitted at those locations or via our provided services. You must not create any links between our network and any other network or any telecommunications service without our consent. g. Revisions to this policy. We may modify this policy at any time, with or without notice. h. DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY FOR THIRD PARTY PRODUCTS. As part of our services to you, we may provide third-party Internet access and computer hardware and software (“Third-party services”). WE DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL LIABILITY, INCLUDING ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN, FOR SUCH THIRD-PARTY SERVICES. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT NO REPRESENTATION HAS BEEN MADE BY US AS TO THE FITNESS OF THE THIRD-PARTY SERVICES FOR YOUR INTENDED PURPOSE. i. DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY FOR YOUR EQUIPMENT. ALL CUSTOMER EQUIPMENT STORED IN OUR TELECOMMUNICATIONS ROOM IS STORED AT YOUR OWN RISK. WE DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL LIABILITY FOR SUCH EQUIPMENT AND SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSSES OR DAMAGE TO SUCH EQUIPMENT. j. DISCLAIMER OF INDIRECT DAMAGES FROM LOSS OF SERVICE. We do not provide any service level agreement to you regarding provision or loss of service for your Internet services. We shall not be liable for any indirect damages, including lost profits, arising out or resulting from any loss of service or degradation of connectivity/access to the Internet with the service agreement, even if the other party has been advised of the possibility of such damages. The foregoing shall apply, to the fullest extent permitted by law, regardless of the negligence or other fault of either party.