Managed Office vs Sublease vs Executive Suite in Montreal

Direct answer

“Managed office,” “sublease” and “executive suite” are not three standardized products.

• A sublease is a legal relationship under an existing lease: the current tenant grants another occupant rights to all or part of the premises while the head lease remains relevant.
• A managed office usually means a pre-built office accompanied by operational services, but it can be delivered through a lease, licence, services agreement or management structure.
• An executive suite is principally a market label for a furnished private office with shared services. It does not establish the contract type, privacy level, term or inclusions.

The decision should be based on the actual chain of rights, service obligations, cost, control, move-in condition and exit path. Quebec’s Civil Code says a lessee may sublease all or part of leased property, but is bound to notify the lessor of the intention and obtain the lessor’s consent. [1] A sublease should never be treated as a simple transfer between two businesses without review of the head lease and the lessor’s role.

This guide flags business and legal questions. It is not a legal opinion on characterization, consent, liability, remedies or enforceability and is not brokerage, tax, accounting, construction, insurance, privacy or regulatory advice.

First, decode the labels

Managed office

The useful meaning of “managed” is operational: someone provides the space in ready-to-use condition and remains responsible for specified workplace services. Those services may include furniture, utilities, connectivity, reception, cleaning, maintenance or access administration, but no inclusion should be presumed. The agreement and service schedule control.

JLL describes several flexible-office structures. Its Canadian research notes that flex can be used for small headcounts and short-duration projects, accelerate speed to occupancy and minimize upfront capital. [2] It also describes management arrangements in which operators manage flexible offerings for a fee and landlord-provided pre-built flexible solutions. [3] “Managed office” therefore does not necessarily mean that an operator leases the entire premises and sublicenses a room.

Sublease

A sublease depends on the head lease. The subtenant needs to know whether the tenant has the right to sublease, what consent is required, what restrictions flow down and what happens if the head lease ends or the tenant defaults. Article 1870 provides the official starting point for notice and consent in Quebec. [4] It is not a complete sublease checklist.

A sublease can offer a fitted space, existing furniture and a remaining term shorter than a new direct lease. It can also leave the subtenant dependent on two contracts and two counterparties. Counsel should review the head lease, sublease, consent document and their priority together.

Executive suite

An executive suite commonly describes a furnished, enclosed office combined with shared reception, meeting or administrative infrastructure. The term says nothing reliable about whether the customer is a tenant, subtenant, licensee or member. Nor does it prove executive-grade finishes, acoustic privacy, 24/7 access, address use, meeting credits or a flexible cancellation right.

At 2727 Coworking, the defensible category is a coworking private office: furnished, lockable enclosed offices for one to ten people, with published internet, utilities, common-space access and member access. The individual listing governs price and availability. Current first-party sources do not support universal promises about meeting credits, address rights, cleaning scope or contract duration. Check actual office listings rather than reading “executive suite” into the product.

Comparison matrix

Dimension	Managed office	Sublease	Executive suite
Core proposition	Ready-to-use space plus contracted operations	Occupancy rights derived from a tenant’s head lease	Furnished private office plus shared environment
Legal form	Lease, licence, services contract or combined structure	Sublease plus lessor consent and head-lease context	Lease, licence, membership or services contract
Counterparty	Operator, manager, landlord or provider	Existing tenant; lessor remains important	Operator or office provider
Move-in	Often rapid if truly pre-built	Can be rapid if existing condition works	Usually rapid if office is available
Customization	Limited to negotiated work	May be constrained by both documents	Usually limited
Services	Defined in service schedule	Often minimal unless separately agreed	Often bundled, but verify each item
Term	Potentially flexible; not guaranteed	Usually cannot outlast the rights supporting it	Potentially short; not guaranteed
Cost clarity	Can bundle costs but may contain usage fees	Rent may look attractive but other costs flow through	Often a single fee plus extras
Dependency	Provider performance	Tenant and lessor, plus head lease	Operator performance and inventory
Exit	Agreement-specific	Head lease, consent, assignment and surrender all matter	Agreement-specific, including renewal and relocation

The chain-of-rights test

Before comparing price, draw the legal and operational chain.

For a managed office

Identify who owns the building, who controls the premises, who contracts with the customer, who employs onsite staff and who promises each service. Ask whether the operator has authority to grant the proposed occupancy for the complete term and what happens if its own agreement ends.

For a sublease

Map lessor, tenant and subtenant. Obtain the complete head lease and amendments, not only a representation that subleasing is allowed. Ask counsel to confirm the consent process and whether the proposed use, signage, alterations, insurance and term fit the head lease. Article 1870 expressly requires notice of the intention and the lessor’s consent. [5]

For an executive suite

Identify the premises allocated exclusively, shared facilities, relocation rights and the operator’s underlying right to occupy. The provider’s brand does not replace title, authority and contract diligence.

Document	Managed office	Sublease	Executive suite
Customer agreement	Essential	Sublease is essential	Essential
Head lease	Relevant if provider derives rights through it	Essential	Relevant where provider is itself a tenant
Owner/lessor consent	Depends on underlying arrangement	Central issue	Depends on underlying arrangement
Service schedule	Central	Only if services are separately supplied	Central
Building rules	Usually incorporated	Usually flow down	Usually incorporated
Work letter/condition report	Useful	Essential if taking existing work	Useful

Montreal market context

The market can make a sublease appear especially attractive, but the supply picture is changing. CBRE reported Montreal overall vacancy of 18.0% in Q2 2026, falling to 12.4% when listings marketed more than 36 months were removed. [6] It also reported that Greater Montreal sublet vacancy decreased 12.4% during the quarter to 1.4 million square feet. [7]

Colliers described limited premium space and increasing landlord leverage in sought-after assets, alongside uneven recovery across the market. [8] CBRE reported national sublease supply declining for a twelfth consecutive quarter and construction at a two-decade low. [9]

These observations support two cautions. First, do not assume an attractive sublease will remain available while a slow review proceeds. Second, do not waive diligence merely because the proposed rent is below a market headline. A low price can reflect age, location, condition, limited term, work, risk or a poor match.

Cost model: compare like with like

Managed-office costs

Capture the office fee, service-management fee, taxes, deposit, setup, access cards, additional people, connectivity level, printing, meeting rooms, storage, parking, address or mail service, furniture changes, insurance and renewal. Identify service-level remedies and whether unused services can be removed.

Sublease costs

Capture subrent, additional rent, utilities, taxes if passed through, security deposit, lessor charges, legal review, brokerage, furniture purchase or licence, alterations, repairs, insurance, telecommunications, restoration and exit. Determine whether operating-cost reconciliation and audit rights flow to the subtenant.

Executive-suite costs

Capture base fee, user charges, onboarding, meeting rooms, printing, phone, reception, mail, guests, parking, after-hours access, storage, taxes and renewal. Ask whether the quoted office can be changed or relocated and whether a rate increase can be imposed during or only after the term.

CRA recognizes lease payments as a business-expense category under its rules, while purchased equipment may instead be capital property subject to capital cost allowance. [10] CRA describes capital alterations to leased property as potentially part of a Class 13 leasehold interest, depending on the interest and terms. [11] Ask an accountant how rent, services, furniture, inducements, leasehold improvements and taxes apply to your facts.

Normalized comparison table

Cost bucket	Question to answer
Entry	What cash is required before productive occupancy?
Recurring	Which fixed and variable amounts are payable each month or year?
Operations	Which vendors and staff remain the customer’s responsibility?
Change	What does adding people, space, equipment or service cost?
Delay	What happens financially if delivery, consent or permits are late?
Exit	What remains payable, what must be restored and what can be removed?
Tax/accounting	How are the actual payments and assets treated for this entity?

Services are contracts, not amenities on a web page

Create a service responsibility matrix.

Service	Provider promises	Customer responsibilities	Failure remedy
Internet	Bandwidth, support hours, redundancy, equipment	Devices, internal security, special circuits	Credit, cure, alternative or none
Furniture	Inventory and replacement	Damage and special equipment	Replacement timing
Cleaning	Areas, frequency and scope	Desk/record security and special waste	Re-performance or escalation
Access	Hours, credentials and guest workflow	Authorized-user management	Emergency and lockout process
Reception	Hours and tasks	Visitor notice and restricted guests	Escalation process
Mail	Eligible items and notification	Authorized names and pickup	Loss/delay allocation
Maintenance	Response and repair scope	Reporting and tenant-caused damage	Response standard

Do not treat “fully serviced” as evidence of any row. Obtain the schedule and identify exclusions.

Space, capacity and privacy

CCOHS says office-space requirements do not have one clear-cut answer. Work patterns, equipment, storage, visitors, safe movement, natural light, acoustic privacy and visual privacy all matter. [12] A nominal six-person office may not fit six multi-monitor workstations, confidential calls and visitors.

Ask for dimensions and prepare a furniture plan. Visit while adjacent offices are occupied. Test whether normal speech is intelligible outside, whether screens are visible from common space and whether guests can reach restricted areas. “Private office” or “executive suite” is not a soundproofing or compliance claim. CCOHS specifically frames acoustic privacy against the confidentiality actually required. [13]

Statistics Canada reported a 9.8% hybrid-work share in May 2026, with 78.8% working exclusively outside the home. [14] Use the team’s own peak attendance and work modes rather than a general hybrid assumption.

Permits and operational readiness

Montreal says an occupancy permit can be required for commercial or professional activity and ties the permit to both the establishment and operator. [15] The application may require a precise use description, proof of legal existence, the owner’s authorization and plans, while interior work may require another permit. [16]

Do not assume the existing occupant’s permit, use or fit-out covers a subtenant or new operator. Confirm the borough-specific process, intended activity and proposed work before making non-refundable commitments.

When each option wins

Managed office wins when

• one organization needs a self-contained workplace without managing all vendors;
• the team needs fast occupancy but more coherence than scattered coworking desks;
• the required term and service scope can be fixed clearly;
• customization is modest;
• one accountable operator is valuable; and
• capital preservation outweighs ownership of the fit-out.

Sublease wins when

• the existing improvements closely match the requirement;
• the remaining term fits the business plan;
• the head lease, consent and sublease allocate risk acceptably;
• the subrent and inherited costs beat alternatives after normalization;
• the tenant is creditworthy enough to perform its obligations; and
• the business can tolerate dependence on the head lease.

A sublease may be the honest best choice for a stable team that finds a well-fitted suite at an attractive remaining term. The correct response is not to steer it to flexible space; it is to complete legal and condition diligence.

Executive suite wins when

• one or a few professionals need a credible enclosed office quickly;
• shared reception and common spaces are useful;
• the team accepts standardized furniture and limited branding;
• administrative simplicity matters more than customization; and
• the actual fee schedule and agreement remain competitive.

A direct conventional lease wins when

None of these three is necessarily best. A direct lease can win when the team is stable, needs long-term control, wants to build a distinct customer environment or can operate its own workplace efficiently. Flexible models should never be presented as the inevitable end state.

Sublease diligence workbook

Authority

• Obtain head lease and every amendment.
• Identify tenant, lessor, guarantors and proposed subtenant.
• Confirm premises, term and authority to sublease.
• Obtain the required notice and consent evidence.
• Check use, competitors, exclusivity and prohibited transfers.

Money

• Reconcile subrent and every pass-through.
• Review arrears, deposits and operating-cost history.
• Determine who receives inducements or refunds.
• Identify taxes, reconciliations and audit rights.
• Model head-lease default and early termination.

Premises

• Inspect and photograph condition.
• Inventory furniture and equipment by owner.
• Identify deficiencies and repair responsibility.
• Confirm telecommunications and access.
• Understand restoration at both sublease and head-lease expiry.

Operations

• Confirm guest, delivery, signage and security rules.
• Verify permits and intended use.
• Align insurance certificates.
• Establish communications with tenant and lessor.
• Create a contingency if either relationship fails.

Managed-office and executive-suite diligence workbook

• Request the complete agreement and service schedule.
• Identify exclusive and shared areas.
• Ask who owns or controls the premises.
• Confirm term, notice, renewal and relocation rights.
• List every included and usage-priced service.
• Test access, internet, sound, visitor route and mobile coverage.
• Confirm permitted use, signage and equipment.
• Review deposits, guarantees, insurance and indemnity.
• Obtain the escalation route for outages and service failure.
• Ask what happens if the operator’s building rights end.

Thirty questions to send before a tour

1. What is the exact contracting entity?
2. What legal form does the provider say the agreement has?
3. Who owns the building?
4. On what basis does the provider control the premises?
5. What room or area is exclusive?
6. May it be relocated?
7. What is shared?
8. What is the first date of productive occupancy?
9. What is the initial term?
10. What notice ends or renews it?
11. What is every recurring charge?
12. What is every one-time charge?
13. Which charges can change during the term?
14. Which taxes are additional?
15. What deposit or guarantee applies?
16. What furniture is included?
17. What connectivity is included?
18. What support standard applies?
19. What are the access hours?
20. How are visitors handled?
21. What are the privacy and security boundaries?
22. What insurance is required?
23. Is the intended use permitted?
24. Which permits remain the customer’s duty?
25. What alterations are allowed?
26. Who repairs damage and ordinary failures?
27. What happens during an outage?
28. What must be removed or restored?
29. What survives termination?
30. Which oral representations will be written into the agreement?

Red flags

• The provider will not disclose its authority to offer the space.
• A sublease is presented without the head lease or consent path.
• A “managed” price excludes material mandatory services.
• An “executive suite” is called confidential or soundproof without evidence.
• The remaining head-lease term is shorter than the business plan.
• The customer is responsible for restoration but has no entry-condition record.
• A permit is assumed to transfer automatically.
• Service-failure remedies are absent.
• Renewal price and relocation are wholly discretionary.
• The subtenant depends on a tenant whose financial condition has not been considered.
• The product claims month-to-month terms not stated in the draft.
• Capacity is based only on chairs, not work and equipment.

Frequently asked questions

Is an executive suite legally different from a private coworking office?

Not necessarily. “Executive suite” is a marketing label. The agreement, allocated premises and actual rights determine the relationship.

Can a tenant sublease without involving the landlord?

Quebec’s official article 1870 requires notice of the intention and the lessor’s consent. [17] Counsel should apply the full law and documents to the transaction.

Is a managed office always cheaper than a lease?

No. It may reduce entry capital and operational effort, but bundled pricing and renewal terms can cost more over a long stable occupation. JLL’s evidence supports specific use cases, not universal savings. [18]

Does a sublease avoid fit-out costs?

Only if the existing condition works. Furniture ownership, repairs, alterations, IT, code, accessibility and restoration can still create costs.

Does 2727 offer a managed office or executive suite?

2727 publishes coworking private-office listings. This guide does not impose a different legal or marketing label. Review the individual listing and agreement at booking.2727coworking.com/offices.

Do market vacancy figures determine the right price?

No. CBRE’s 18.0% headline falls to 12.4% when long-marketed listings are excluded, and Colliers reports stronger conditions in premium assets. [19] [20]

Official and primary references

1. [21] Quebec sublease notice and consent.
2. [22] Flexible-office uses and structures.
3. [23] Montreal market and sublet supply.
4. [24] National sublease and construction context.
5. [25] Premium-space segmentation.
6. [26] Workspace planning and privacy.
7. [27] Work-location context.
8. [28] Lease and equipment categories.
9. [29] Leasehold improvements.
10. [30] Use and permit diligence.
11. [31] Commute diligence.
12. [32] Griffintown cycling context.

Method and limitations

Research was completed on 23 August 2026. Public sources cannot determine the legal nature of an unreviewed agreement, the authority of a specific provider, the financial condition of a head tenant, the suitability of a particular use, or the accounting and tax result. No statement promises that a 2727 office is available, month to month, acoustically private or bundled with unverified services.

Appendix A: scenario laboratory

Scenario 1: a fitted sublease with eighteen months remaining

A five-person firm finds a suite with furniture, two meeting rooms and a term matching a client contract. The subrent is lower than comparable serviced offices. This is a credible sublease-winning case, but only if the apparent fit survives diligence.

The firm should confirm the exact premises and furniture ownership, inspect condition, obtain the head lease and amendments, document the notice and consent process, reconcile all pass-through costs, verify use and insurance, and understand what happens if the tenant defaults. It should model the loss of occupancy if the supporting head lease ends and determine who must restore alterations. If those risks are acceptable, choosing the sublease is not a compromise; it may be the strongest answer.

Scenario 2: a foreign project team for nine months

The team needs six workstations immediately, has no local facilities staff and may leave when implementation ends. A managed office can align the commitment and operating burden with the project. The team should nevertheless require a service schedule, test communications and privacy, confirm immigration and corporate questions separately, and avoid interpreting a Montreal office as proof of any tax or regulatory outcome.

A conventional lease or sublease with legal and setup lead time may consume much of the project. The managed premium can be economically rational when speed and reversibility are priced transparently.

Scenario 3: three advisers serving confidential clients

An executive-suite offer includes reception and a polished meeting room. The marketing fit is strong, but “executive” does not answer whether speech travels into the corridor, documents can be stored securely, the network is separated or guests can reach the office unescorted. The advisers should conduct a live sound and visual inspection, review access records and compare their professional obligations with documented controls.

If those requirements cannot be met, a direct lease with specified improvements may win even at a higher total cost. If the suite documents suitable controls, its shared reception may be a real value rather than a decorative amenity.

Scenario 4: a growing ten-person company

The company expects to add five people within a year. A fixed sublease may be inexpensive today but unable to expand. An executive suite may have adjacent inventory, but the provider is not promising it. A managed office may be designed around the projected team, but committing early to unproven hires recreates conventional-lease risk.

Management should phase the decision: secure the current requirement, define a written trigger for expansion, price overflow and model a move. It should not pay permanently for speculative headcount without comparing the cost of a later disruption.

Appendix B: clause-by-clause issue map

Premises and relocation

The agreement should identify the allocated room or suite, plan, shared areas and measurement. If relocation is permitted, specify notice, comparable quality and capacity, moving cost, downtime and a termination right when the substitute is unsuitable. An unqualified relocation power weakens the customer’s ability to build a stable client experience.

Term and renewal

Record the initial term, commencement, automatic renewal, notice and holdover. For a sublease, reconcile every date with the head lease and consent. For managed space, determine whether the service agreement and occupancy right end together. For an executive suite, ensure renewal applies to space as well as membership.

Charges

Attach a complete price schedule. Distinguish mandatory, included, metered and optional services. State the tax treatment on invoices, deposit conditions, interest, late charges and price-change rules. Require a method for disputing variable charges without automatically defaulting on undisputed amounts.

Services

Write service hours, maintenance channels and exclusions. A useful schedule identifies what happens during an internet failure, access-system outage, water interruption, common-area closure or staff absence. Credits are not the only remedy; a business may need a practical alternative workspace or termination after prolonged failure.

Use and conduct

Describe the activity precisely enough to cover present operations without accidentally prohibiting normal growth. Reconcile the clause with building rules, visitor practices, privacy, signage, deliveries, equipment and hours. Do not rely on the prior tenant’s use or the provider’s general coworking description.

Alterations and equipment

State whether the customer may mount screens, add cabling, change locks, install signs or bring specialized equipment. Identify approvals, professional work, removal and damage. In a sublease, both the tenant’s permission and lessor/building requirements may matter.

Access and security

List authorized-user process, guest access, master access, after-hours response, lost credentials, cameras and records. Physical access is separate from network and information security. No shared-office agreement should be called secure solely because its door locks.

Liability and insurance

Map each indemnity to available coverage and controllable risk. Check exclusions, limits, waivers, property of employees or clients, cyber events and business interruption. Identify evidence required by lessor, tenant and operator; a sublease may create multiple certificate requirements.

Default and end of relationship

Define notice, cure, suspension, termination, property removal, deposit, data and mail. For subleases, model the head tenant’s default even if the subtenant performs. For managed offices, address loss of the operator’s underlying right. For executive suites, address immediate access needs if services stop.

Appendix C: service transition plan

Before signing

Create one issue list joining commercial, legal, IT, insurance, permits and operations. Do not permit separate workstreams to rely on different office names, capacities or opening dates. Name the document that closes each issue.

Between signing and occupancy

Confirm every condition, pay only under the agreed schedule, record room condition, inventory assets, order connectivity and prepare access. Obtain permits and certificates applicable to the new operator. Build a fallback if consent, delivery or service installation is delayed.

On day one

Test credentials, emergency contacts, internet, mobile service, meeting technology and guest arrival. Photograph the premises and report deficiencies within the contractual period. Give employees written rules for shared space, confidential work and incidents.

During the first ninety days

Measure actual recurring cost, service incidents, visitor experience, meeting demand, sound complaints, support time and attendance. Compare actuals with the selection model. A managed office should reduce management work in practice; an executive suite should deliver the shared services valued in the decision; a sublease should not reveal omitted inherited costs.

Before notice or renewal

Start review early enough to inspect alternatives. Request the renewal price and service changes in writing. Review business purpose, headcount, location, condition, counterparties and unresolved incidents. For a sublease, confirm both relevant expiries and any steps required by the head lease. Do not allow automatic renewal to substitute for a deliberate decision.

Appendix D: evidence standard for marketing claims

Claim heard during sale	Evidence to request
“Month to month”	Termination and notice clause
“All inclusive”	Exhaustive fee and service schedule
“Private”	Exclusive-use clause plus onsite privacy testing
“Secure”	Documented physical, network and operational controls
“Landlord approved”	Executed consent or direct confirmation reviewed by counsel
“Plug and play”	Condition, furniture, connectivity and access acceptance test
“Room to grow”	Identified inventory or enforceable expansion right
“No setup cost”	Complete one-time fee and required-equipment list
“Professional address”	Exact permitted use and supporting agreement
“Easy exit”	Notice, termination, restoration and surviving obligations

The evidence may still require professional interpretation. The table prevents a slogan from becoming an untested assumption in the financial model.

Appendix E: counterparty and continuity review

Every option depends on another organization, but the dependency differs.

Managed-office provider

Ask how long the provider has controlled the location, whether its authority covers the proposed term, what staff and vendors actually deliver the service, and what continuity process applies if a supplier fails. The objective is not to demand private financial information without reason. It is to identify whether the customer’s office depends on an arrangement that could end before its own commitment.

Request a single escalation path joining the operator, building manager and emergency support. Confirm who can authorize urgent access, network work, water response or repairs. A provider may be commercially responsive while lacking authority over a building system; the agreement should not promise what it cannot control.

Head tenant in a sublease

The subtenant’s performance does not eliminate dependence on the head tenant. Review evidence relevant to whether rent and other head-lease obligations are current, subject to counsel’s direction and appropriate confidentiality. Determine how the subtenant learns of a default or termination threat and whether any direct rights or cure opportunities have been negotiated.

Map money flow. Paying the tenant does not itself prove payment reached the lessor. Identify whether the consent changes payment, notice, insurance or access. Do not improvise a direct-payment arrangement without legal review.

Executive-suite operator

The operator’s inventory and shared-service model are central. Ask what happens if it consolidates floors, changes reception hours, replaces a network provider or closes the site. Relocation may be commercially reasonable, but the substitute, notice and remedy must fit the client’s needs.

Appendix F: move-in acceptance protocol

An acceptance protocol converts “ready” into observable facts.

Identity and documents

• Correct contracting entity and office identifier.
• Executed agreement, consent where relevant and service schedules.
• Insurance certificates and permit status.
• Emergency and escalation contacts.

Physical condition

• Walls, doors, locks, glazing, floor and ceiling documented.
• Furniture identified by quantity, condition and owner.
• Power, lighting, temperature and visible defects recorded.
• Storage, keys, cards and shared areas confirmed.
• Restoration baseline photographed.

Technology

• Wired and wireless connectivity tested for the agreed service.
• Mobile coverage tested where calls will occur.
• Access credentials tested for every authorized period.
• Meeting displays and other specifically included devices tested.
• Support request opened once to confirm channel and response.

Operations

• Visitor journey tested from entrance to office.
• Deliveries, mail and after-hours arrivals rehearsed where relevant.
• Cleaning scope and waste process confirmed.
• Sound and sightline observations recorded during occupied hours.
• Staff informed of shared-space and incident rules.

Sign an acceptance record or send a dated deficiency notice under the contract. Continued occupancy can make later disputes harder to evidence.

Appendix G: renewal scorecard

Question	Evidence	Keep	Renegotiate	Exit
Does capacity fit peak attendance?	Attendance and workstation incidents	Fits with buffer	Correctable change	Chronic mismatch
Are services delivered?	Tickets, outages and actual scope	Reliable	Scope or remedy needed	Material repeated failure
Is total cost competitive?	All-in invoices and alternatives	Supports value	Price/service adjustment	Better viable option
Does the location work?	Commute, visitors and retention	Strong	Mitigation possible	Business mismatch
Is privacy suitable?	Tests and incidents	Controls fit	Improvement possible	Unresolvable gap
Is counterparty risk acceptable?	Changes, notices and performance	Stable	Protection needed	Material continuity concern
Does the next term fit the plan?	Project and headcount evidence	Aligned	Different duration	Misaligned

The scorecard is not a mechanical vote. Some issues are non-negotiable while several small inconveniences may not justify a move. State weights before receiving the renewal quote so the price does not distort the requirement.

Appendix H: what not to claim in customer-facing content

Do not publish that:

• managed offices are always licences rather than leases;
• executive suites are a legally distinct class;
• every serviced price includes reception, mail, meetings, printing or cleaning;
• every sublease is discounted or shorter;
• lessor consent guarantees the head tenant’s future performance;
• a lockable room is soundproof or professionally confidential;
• a Montreal occupancy permit held by one operator covers another;
• a corporate office determines tax residence or immigration rights;
• one provider’s advertised capacity certifies safe or accessible occupancy; or
• flexible space is always the best answer for a small team.

Customer-facing language should say what the agreement and observed premises establish. Anything else should be framed as a question to verify.

Final selection test

Select only after the team can explain:

1. who grants the right and on what authority;
2. which premises and services are promised;
3. which other contract can affect occupancy;
4. what all-in cash is required;
5. how use, permits and insurance align;
6. what privacy and capacity tests found;
7. which obligations survive exit;
8. what happens after a counterparty default;
9. why this option beats a direct lease and ordinary coworking alternative; and
10. which new fact would trigger reconsideration.

An unanswered item becomes a documented condition or accepted risk. It should never disappear into the word “turnkey.”