News

2026/06/26

Choosing A Serviced Office in Singapore: 5 Costly Factors Often Overlooked

Hello from Zero-Ten Park Singapore, the best serviced office and co-working space in CBD Singapore!

Choosing an office space can be difficult in times of rising prices, especially when rent for Grade A offices in the Central Business District (CBD) have hit a record 17-year high in Q1 2026, and does not look to be relenting anytime soon.

Rents for core CBD Grade A office spaces rose 0.8 per cent quarter on quarter to S$12.40 per square foot (psf) per month, in their fifth consecutive quarter of growth, according to CBRE data.

Office demand has been steadily rising due to stable business environment and rental growth is expected to remain on an upward trajectory despite ongoing headwinds from geopolitical uncertainty, compounded by higher costs for construction, and hybrid work arrangements influencing corporate real estate decisions.

As such, counting every cent seems to matter even more nowadays, especially for start-ups, small medium businesses (SMBs) and small medium enterprises (SMEs). Renting an office space at serviced offices or co-working spaces have become even more attractive. In addition to only renting the necessary floor space, the utilities, furniture, mail handling and cleaning etc are all taken care of, cutting out red tape.

However, before jumping into that contract for that snazzy looking office that promises an attractive and competitive rent rate, there are several factors that a busy business owner might have overlooked. In this article, we cover some often overlooked but surprisingly costly points an inexperienced office hunter might miss out.

1. Hidden Fees

Everyone knows that hidden fees are the cash flow killer which add up quickly, making the costs a lot higher than was planned for.

Rather than covering known hidden costs like security deposits and one-time admin fees, this section will instead cover fees that people might miss. Always ask before committing to make sure what is inclusive of your monthly rent, and what isn’t.

Wi-Fi/Internet
Basic internet being part of the package of the serviced office rent is common practice. If people require static IP, LAN or a dedicated VLAN option, an additional charge would usually be incurred.

However, these days, some offices do separate even the most basic shared member Wi-Fi usage fee from the rent itself.

Coffee/Pantry
Arguably since as early as the 16th century, coffee culture has played a pivotal part of society, which has only grown rapidly since due to trade and cultivation. Coffee is an essential fuel to many workers around the world, and that includes workers in Singapore.

Most people expect use of the standard coffee machines and pantry access in the shared spaces to be inclusive in the rent, unless the coffee was made by an in-house barista stationed at the space. Charging for something as necessary as coffee seems rather unthinkable, but it is a fact that as a fairly recent trend, some spaces do allegedly charge separately for use of the basic coffee machines, ranging from $50 to even $200 per person per month. Some serviced offices also offer the option to buy each coffee individually.

Even if you might not be a coffee drinker, one must need to also consider that your clients might. And if you do not plan on serving your clients water instead of coffee or tea, be sure to check during your inquiry about coffee and pantry fees.

Meeting Room Use
Meeting room credits given to members vary based on the operator, plan, size of the meeting room and even the number of people using the plan. Meeting room rental in the Singapore CBD is undoubtedly expensive. Availability can be scarce in some places as well, with the credits given only to the smaller rooms which get booked quick, while the fees for the larger rooms are a lot more expensive. Depending on the plan and operator, the amount of meeting room credits given may barely even cover the booking for a few hours in a month.

Exit and Cleaning
Most places charge an exit/cleaning fee. But beware the exorbitant markups. Always be sure to calculate the total you might be liable to pay from your total sqft/sqm given if the rate given to you is per sqft/sqm. Make sure to take photos of your designated space on the day of move-in, and clarify what is defined as reasonable wear and tear, as even the smallest dent might result in a hefty cleaning fee.

2. Customer Service

Often overlooked and unsung heroes are the staff stationed at the office to assist you with your daily work. Many co-working spaces might have only one person at reception. In some cases, there might not always be someone available especially during lunchtime or when someone has to take sick or annual leave. With automation and AI, some serviced offices might even be completely unmanned.

It may seem like a small matter, but when there might be an emergency, technical or electricity issue, having no staff around to help deal with the matter can be very stressful and time consuming, eating into time you could be doing your actual job. A late notification for an important mail/parcel could result in avoidable penalties, fees and missed business opportunities.

3. Contract Renewal

Rent rising after a contract renewal is rather commonplace, but the drastic increase in the rate is not necessarily so. However, with the Singapore CBD office rental rates continuously rising, some offices can see a 20% to even 40% increase in rent upon contract renewal. In some places allegedly, it may even be company policy. The obvious solution would be to move, but with high exit fees and not to mention the stress and costs of searching for and moving to a new office, many business end up stuck in the same place while being forced to shoulder the increasing rent.

4. Work Environment and Noise Levels

A co-working space might be aesthetic and stylish, but what isn’t is a noisy and dirty environment. Even with cleaning staff assigned to daily cleaning several times a day, messes can happen so often that it becomes a perpetual state of the office. Someone making a noisy phone call or talking loudly at shared spaces could result in long-term effects not only in work productivity and quality, but in health as well. The culture of the users of the space matters more than anything.

5. Business and Networking Opportunities

A well made business connection can be the difference between a terrible quarter and a continuous long-term high profit margin. A good co-working space not only provides a conducive workspace, but business and networking opportunities. The strength of a co-working space is the community and other companies that you share the space with, but it is wasted if the co-working space does not create the opportunity for their members to make full use of that.

At Zero-Ten Park Singapore, one does not have to worry about the above costly factors.
Choosing Zero-Ten Park Singapore means:

No hidden fees
All our fees are laid out transparently during the inquiry and viewing. Our rent is all inclusive, including utilities, Wi-Fi, free flow coffee machine and pantry use (with snacks, tea and water) etc.

Members of our private offices enjoy free 2-hours meeting room credits PLUS 2-hours soundproof private booth credits daily. With five meeting rooms available, our members rarely ever have any difficulties securing a meeting room at time of need. Our discounted rates given to members for any usage exceeding 2-hours in one day are also extremely competitive, especially for the Singapore CBD area.

Top class customer service
Being a Japanese serviced office with 3-4 bilingual staff stationed at reception, members can expect high level customer service that Japan is famous for. Not only do we constantly receive glowing feedback from our customers for being proactive and attentive, many regulars cite our staff’s friendliness and warmth as one of our strongest selling points.

Rent stability
Our operations team has a longstanding and strong relationship with the building management and owner. This allows us to rarely need to raise our rates upon contract renewal. And even in the case where we do, the increase is a lot lower than conventional.

Clean, cosy, quiet and conducive work environment
Our members, regulars and staff have cultivated a considerate culture, resulting in our space to be consistently clean, cosy and quiet. Don’t believe us? Take our customers’ words instead.

Monthly events, supportive community and staff
Events are held at least once a month at Zero-Ten Park Singapore, with strong emphasis on events that are beneficial to either our members’ businesses or wellness. We have fostered a supportive community, and our experienced staff have also facilitated many successful business matchings.

Looking for an office? Contact us today and find out how we can help your business grow.

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For Viewings・Inquiries

Zero-Ten Park Singapore accepts requests for viewing and inquiries at any time!
Please feel free to contact us by phone or via the inquiry form below.

TEL　　　：+65-6420-6370
Whatsapp ：+65-9852-4360

※Staff availability hours are 9:00-18:00 on weekdays (excluding Singapore public holidays and office closures).

Getting Here

Zero-Ten Park Singapore is located on Robinson Road in the heart of Singapore’s Central Business District (CBD) within walking distance of major stations.
A bus stop is also located right in front of the building, allowing you to commute to work without being at the mercy of the weather.

Address

80 Robinson Road #10-01A Singapore 068898
Google Maps

Getting Here – MRT（Underground）

Telok Ayer Station 3 minute’s walk　Nearest station
Raffles Place Station 4 minute’s walk
Tanjong Pagar Station 7 minute’s walk
Shenton Way Station 5 minute’s walk