Frequently Asked Questions about Coworking

Coworking means working together in a modern, professional working environment without having to worry about traditional office infrastructure. Freelancers, start-up founders, small teams and employees of larger companies share a space featuring fully equipped workstations, high-speed internet, meeting rooms and communal areas. Coworking combines flexibility, networking and productivity all in one.

You can book a workspace, an office or a membership at a co-working venue as and when you need it. Everything you need to work is available on site: ergonomic desks and chairs, fast Wi-Fi, printers, coffee and meeting rooms. You’ll work alongside other freelancers, teams and businesses, without having to worry about rent, service charges or equipment. Depending on the provider, you can book on a daily, monthly or flexible subscription basis.

There’s a clear principle behind a co-working space: maximum flexibility and professionalism with minimum effort on your part. Instead of having to deal with long-term leases, investments in furniture and IT, and ongoing running costs, you get to use an existing, fully equipped office environment. Then there’s the community: co-working spaces are places where people from different industries meet, exchange ideas and benefit from one another.

With a traditional office, you rent a space on a long-term basis (often for several years), furnish it yourself and cover all service charges, cleaning and administration. Coworking turns this model on its head: you flexibly book the workspace you need at any given time, and everything else is already included. The advantages include short contract terms, clear all-inclusive costs, professional facilities without the need for your own investment, and access to a community.

Coworking is suitable for a wide range of target groups: self-employed people and freelancers who want to escape the isolation of working from home; founders and start-ups looking to scale up without high fixed costs; remote workers seeking a professional working environment away from the company’s headquarters; small teams and businesses in need of flexibility and growth opportunities; and large corporations wishing to offer their staff flexible working locations.

The clear advantages include flexibility, transparent all-inclusive costs, professional facilities, networking opportunities and the fact that there is no need to invest in office furniture and IT. Potential drawbacks discussed within the industry include noise levels in open-plan spaces, a lack of privacy or limited opportunities for concentration. At Office Club, we address these issues specifically: as well as open-plan workspaces, we also offer quiet zones, private offices and telephone booths, so that everyone can find the right environment for their task.

Coworking spaces are office spaces designed for shared, flexible use by various self-employed individuals, teams and companies. They differ from traditional office rental spaces in that they are already fully equipped and are not leased on a long-term basis by a single company, but are booked flexibly as and when required. Typical co-working spaces include open-plan workspaces, fixed individual workstations, private offices, meeting rooms, and lounge and community areas.

A modern co-working space is divided into different work areas so that you can find the right spot for the task at hand: Open-desk areas (flexible workspaces without a fixed desk), fixed desks (reserved workspaces), private offices (enclosed rooms for individuals or teams), meeting rooms, event spaces and communal areas such as lounges and kitchenettes. It’s the mix that makes the difference: you choose the space that suits your current task.

Office Club provides everything you need to work with full concentration: an ergonomic desk and office chair, fast Wi-Fi, a printer and scanner, free coffee, tea and water, access to lounge and community areas, as well as telephone booths for confidential conversations. Cleaning, electricity, heating and internet are, of course, included. You can book meeting and conference rooms as and when required – as an Office Club member, you’ll receive a 50% discount on conference room bookings.

In our view, a good co-working space offers more than just a desk: a central location in an attractive city centre; high-quality, durable furnishings; fast Wi-Fi and plenty of power sockets; a variety of workspaces for open-plan working, periods of concentration and private meetings; bookable meeting rooms; transparent, fair prices with no long-term contracts; and a genuine on-site team that knows members by name rather than by customer number. At Office Club, we deliberately take a boutique approach rather than a one-size-fits-all one – personalised, high-quality and with a long-term perspective.

The basic setup for a professional office workspace includes an ergonomic desk and chair, high-speed internet, plenty of power sockets, good lighting and access to a printer and scanner. At Office Club, all of this is already provided on site: all you need to do is bring your laptop and you can get started straight away.

Yes. As a coworking user, you can book conference and meeting rooms flexibly, by the hour or by the day, depending on your needs. Depending on your membership, a certain number of hours is already included. As an Office Club member, you’ll also receive a 50% discount on conference room bookings.

When you book, every member receives a personal club card which grants you access to the venue, depending on your membership tier. With 24/7 access, the facilities are open to you round the clock. You can also use the card to charge snacks or coffee from the club café directly to your account.

Coffee, tea, water and fresh fruit are included free of charge with every membership. In addition, every location has a club café or kitchen offering snacks as well as hot and cold drinks. We can organise suitable catering for meetings and events on request.

Yes. The background noise at the Office Club is conducive to conversation, yet considerate, and comparable to that in a standard open-plan office. For confidential or longer phone calls, telephone booths are available at all locations, guaranteeing you and the person on the other end peace and privacy.

Yes, at all our locations you can book lockable lockers on a monthly basis. This allows you to store your laptop, documents and personal belongings safely between visits.

Yes, you can book our meeting rooms online even without a membership – during the opening hours of the relevant venue. However, as a member, you’ll receive a permanent 50% discount on every meeting room booking, so a membership quickly pays for itself if you use the facilities regularly.

Yes. Coworking costs are generally tax-deductible as business expenses if you are self-employed or run your own business. You can claim these invoices on your tax return in the same way as other office expenses. The key requirement is that the use of the space is for business purposes. If in doubt, you should consult a qualified tax adviser regarding your specific situation.

The home office allowance generally applies to work carried out in your own home and does not cover co-working costs. Instead, you can claim the actual co-working costs as business expenses or income-related expenses. In many cases, this is actually more cost-effective than the allowance. Here too, expert tax advice is the most reliable way to determine what applies to your individual situation.

Whether a co-working space is considered a permanent establishment depends on how regularly and consistently you actually work there. A permanent establishment in the tax law sense (Section 12 of the German Fiscal Code (AO)) only comes into being if you maintain a fixed business premises at that address which serves your business. If you only use the co-working space occasionally or on a flexible basis, this does not usually constitute a permanent establishment. However, as soon as you work there on a fixed and permanent basis – for example, if you have your own fixed desk – the situation may be different. If in doubt, seek expert tax advice.

If employers pay for a co-working space for their staff, this may be regarded as a benefit in kind, depending on the specific arrangements. However, if the co-working space is absolutely necessary for work (e.g. because there is no company workstation available), this classification does not usually apply. The exact tax treatment depends on the individual case and should be clarified with the payroll department or a tax adviser.

A standard co-working membership does not automatically include the right to use the address as a business address. For this, we offer separate products at Office Club: the business address for correspondence and external communications, and the virtual office for legally compliant use as a company registered office or legal address. Both can be easily combined with a coworking membership.

The booking process is entirely online: choose a location, select your preferred model, complete a quick registration, and you’re ready to go. If you have any questions or would like to arrange a viewing, please feel free to contact our team directly. We’ll help you choose the right location and model.

Yes, a trial day is the best way to really get to know a co-working space. At Office Club, you have two options: either book a free club tour – a relaxed tour with no pressure or sales pitch, where you can take your time to have a look around the venue and soak up the atmosphere. Or you can book a day pass for €39 and work here for a whole day, with coffee, fast internet and access to the community included. You can easily book either option online or arrange it by phone.

All areas are available to you during our opening hours. At all Office Club locations, you also have the option to add 24/7 access – so you can work at any time, including in the evenings, at weekends or at night. 24/7 access is already included with Private Desk and Private Office memberships. You can find details of opening hours and access options on the relevant location page.

All you need to do is bring your laptop and your personal work equipment. A desk, chair, fast Wi-Fi, printer and scanner are all provided on site. Electricity and all utility costs are, of course, included. If you need an extra screen, you can hire one from us on a daily basis (€10 per day) or store your own monitor at the club on a permanent basis (€29 per month). You’ll find an overview of all additional services in our price list.

Yes. At every Office Club branch, our team is on hand to offer you personalised, friendly, reliable and hassle-free support. What’s more, our support team is quick to respond and can help you with any questions you may have about your membership.

Almost immediately. You can book your membership online and start either straight away or on a date of your choice. Once your booking has been confirmed, you can start using the co-working space at your chosen location straight away.

Yes, of course. The club is also an ideal place for meetings with clients or quick get-togethers with colleagues. For longer or confidential meetings, we recommend booking a meeting or conference room – that way, you can work undisturbed and other members won’t be disturbed whilst they’re working.

We endeavour to make as many areas as possible accessible. As conditions vary from site to site, our site team will be happy to provide you with specific information before your visit.

Yes, from a two-person setup to a project team with lots of staff. You can book several fixed workstations or entire office spaces online. For team solutions, we recommend a brief chat with our on-site team beforehand so that we can agree on the most suitable spaces and seating arrangements.

Yes, in principle you can work at all Office Club locations in Germany, Italy and Switzerland – the exact terms and conditions vary depending on your membership. With the Hot Desk membership, use of other locations is included at no extra cost (subject to request and availability). With the Flex Desk membership, you get one free day per month at any location; additional days cost €19. With the Night Desk and the fixed workspaces (Private Desk and Private Office), you can use other locations during the day for €19 per day, also subject to request and availability. As a member, you’ll also receive a 50 per cent discount on meeting room bookings at all locations.

Prices vary depending on location, model and contract term. A Flex Desk membership starts from just €19 per month (on a 12-month contract) – making coworking significantly cheaper than a traditional office desk. A day pass costs €39. Anyone wishing to work flexibly across all Office Club locations can opt for the hot-desk model from €199 per month. Dedicated private desks start at €299 a month, whilst private offices start at €799. All prices include service charges, internet, cleaning and complimentary refreshments. You can find the current terms and conditions for each location in our price overview.

A traditional office workspace in major German cities can easily cost several thousand euros a month, including rent, service charges, furnishings, IT and cleaning – not to mention the security deposit, long-term contracts and investment in furniture. Coworking bundles all these costs into a single monthly fee. You aren’t tied into multi-year tenancy agreements, you don’t need your own property management, and you can scale up or down at any time depending on the size of your team. This makes coworking, in most cases, significantly cheaper and easier to plan than a traditional office.

At Office Club, you can choose from several plans, depending on how often and how regularly you’d like to use the co-working space. With the Day Pass (€39), you get one-off access for the day – ideal for trying it out. The Flex Desk starts from €19 per month and includes one free day per month; additional days cost €19 each. The Hot Desk (from €199 per month) covers all working days at your chosen location and also offers access to all other Office Club locations. With the Night Desk (from €79 per month), you can work flexibly in the evenings, at night and at weekends. If you’d like a fixed space, choose the Private Desk (from €299 per month) with your own workspace and 24/7 access, or the Private Office (from €799) for your own private, lockable office. Which option suits you best depends on how often you visit and whether you prefer to work flexibly or need a fixed workspace.

Coworking thrives on flexibility, which is why the contract terms are short: you can book by the day, by the month or with a short minimum term. Office Club offers flexible options with no long-term commitments, as well as discounted rates for longer bookings if you want to plan your work with certainty.

That’s the case for many of our plans. Flex memberships and short-term contracts can often be cancelled on a monthly basis. For discounted long-term plans, correspondingly longer notice periods apply, which are clearly set out in the contract.

You can pay conveniently by SEPA direct debit or credit card. We accept Mastercard, Visa, American Express, China UnionPay, Discover, Diners and JCB. You can select your payment method directly during the booking process.

Yes, all flexible memberships can be switched to a different plan at the end of the selected term – either to a higher or lower tier. You can make the change yourself via your membership account.

There are currently around 8,000 to 10,000 coworking spaces across Europe, and the market continues to grow steadily. The largest markets are the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain and the Netherlands, while coworking concepts are also gaining ground quickly in Eastern and Southern Europe. Office Club is part of this growing European coworking landscape, with more than 20 locations across Germany, Italy and Switzerland.

Yes, and quite significantly so. Hybrid working models, remote teams and the desire for flexibility have firmly established co-working. Even large companies are now integrating co-working into their office strategy, rather than leasing expensive premises on a long-term basis. The sector is growing steadily, and new concepts such as co-working in medium-sized towns or specialised industry-specific spaces are expanding the range of options available.

Yes, co-working can be a real catalyst for greater sustainability in everyday working life. By sharing spaces, infrastructure and resources, the energy, heating and material costs per person are significantly lower than in individually occupied office spaces. Printers, furniture and IT equipment are shared rather than purchased multiple times, and short journeys to central co-working locations reduce commuting volumes. At Office Club, we ensure that our operations are resource-efficient in terms of fittings, energy supply and choice of location.