Co-working Space MOU Template

Parties, Space Name & Effective Date

The opening section names the coworking space operator (the legal entity or trading name that manages the location) and the incoming member, freelancer, or partner organization, including their registered address or primary contact details. It records the specific location - building, floor, or named coworking brand - and the date the MOU takes effect. This section also states whether the member is an individual, a sole proprietor, or a company sending multiple employees, since that changes who is authorized to sign later documents such as the full membership agreement or an NDA covering the workspace.

Space & Desk Allocation

This section specifies exactly what is being provided: a hot desk (unassigned, first-come seating), a dedicated desk (a fixed seat reserved for one member), or a private office (an enclosed room, often with its own lock and capacity limit). It should state the desk or room number where relevant, the maximum number of people covered by the allocation, and whether the member can bring guests to their seat without prior notice. Startups piloting a satellite team often use this section to reserve a block of desks with the option to add more as headcount grows, which keeps the MOU flexible without requiring a brand-new document for every new hire.

Term, Start Date & Renewal

Coworking arrangements are rarely locked into a multi-year term the way a commercial lease is, so this section defines the initial term (commonly month-to-month, or a fixed 3, 6, or 12-month pilot period), the exact start date, and whether the agreement auto-renews unless either party gives written notice. It should also note any minimum commitment period tied to a discounted rate, since many operators offer lower monthly fees in exchange for a longer lock-in, and that trade-off needs to be visible in the MOU rather than buried in a separate rate card.

Fees, Deposit & Payment Terms

This section lists the monthly or per-seat fee, the billing cycle (usually monthly in advance), any refundable security deposit and the conditions for its return, and what happens on late payment - a grace period, a late fee, or suspended access. It should explicitly separate what is included in the base fee (Wi-Fi, standard printing allowance, coffee, basic mail handling) from add-on services billed separately, such as meeting-room credits beyond a monthly allowance, dedicated storage, or a business mailing address for company registration. Agencies and freelancers should keep this section precise, since it becomes the source document for expense tracking and client billing.

Access, Hours & Shared Amenities

Building and floor access hours, keycard or fob issuance, and after-hours entry rules belong here, along with a plain list of what the member can use: meeting rooms (and how many hours are included per month), phone booths, printing and scanning, kitchen and pantry facilities, lockers, and parking or bike storage if applicable. For teams working across time zones or running client calls outside standard hours, this section should state whether 24/7 access is included or billed as an upgrade, since that detail materially changes whether the space suits an agency's actual working pattern.

House Rules & Code of Conduct

This section either restates or references the operator's house rules: acceptable noise levels on calls, use of headphones in open areas, food and drink policy, cleanliness expectations for shared desks, restrictions on soliciting other members' clients, and consequences for repeated violations. Referencing an existing code-of-conduct document (rather than rewriting it inside the MOU) keeps the memorandum shorter while still making the member's agreement to follow it a signed, enforceable part of the arrangement.

Client Confidentiality, Guest Access & Meeting-Room Etiquette

This is the section most generic coworking templates skip, and it matters most to the agencies, consultants, and client-facing freelancers who make up a large share of coworking membership. It should spell out how guests are signed in and escorted (rather than left to wander an open floor where other members' screens and conversations are visible), which rooms are appropriate for confidential client calls or NDA-covered discussions, whether whiteboards and printed materials used during a client meeting must be wiped or shredded before the room is released to the next booking, and whether the operator's own staff or cleaning contractors sign any confidentiality acknowledgment given their incidental access to member spaces. For an agency running client workshops or sales calls from a shared office, this level of specificity is the difference between a coworking MOU that only protects the landlord and one that also protects the member's own client relationships.

Liability, Insurance & Property Damage

This section states who is responsible for insuring personal equipment left on-site (laptops, monitors, branded signage), whether the operator carries general liability and property insurance for the shared areas, and how damage to fixtures or another member's property is handled - typically requiring the responsible party to cover repair or replacement costs. It should also include a basic indemnification clause so neither party is left exposed if a third party (a client, vendor, or delivery courier) is injured or suffers a loss while visiting the space.

Termination, Notice Period & Exit Terms

The closing operative section defines how much written notice either party must give to end the arrangement (commonly 30 days for month-to-month terms), the condition the desk or office must be left in at move-out, the timeline for returning the security deposit once any deductions are settled, and what happens to mail or packages still addressed to the member after they leave. It's also the natural place to note a dispute-resolution step - such as good-faith negotiation before either party pursues a formal claim - so a disagreement over a deposit or a damage charge doesn't have to escalate immediately.