Over 250 companies rent out spare desks, office spaces or office buildings through Launchdesk (by SKEPP)

Frequently Asked Questions

• I have a small office. Can I still sign up?
• Yes! You can. Launchdesk is a platform for offices of all sizes. Whether you're offering a few workspaces or large office spaces, we're here to find your future renters. So if you only have a few desks available, you’re absolutely welcome to sign up your office with Launchdesk. We already offer plenty of small offices which have all have new renters (that fit in perfectly with the atmosphere).
• I have a large office building. Can I still sign up?
• Yes! You can. Launchdesk is a platform for offices of all sizes. Whether you're offering large office spaces or just a few workspaces, we're here to find your future renters. We receive many requests from entrepreneurs that are seeking a large space or an entire floor. Contact us and we'll answer all of your questions. If you have many separate spaces or multiple buildings, then we can easily put them online all at once.
  
  Most large locations have their own administrative system so we can organise to drop our administrative service. In this case, we'll invoice our commission separately, in the first month of the rental contract of a new renter.
• Is Launchdesk present outside of Amsterdam?
• Yes! We started in Amsterdam, but have expanded to many other cities. We have offices in larger cities such as Rotterdam, Utrecht and Leiden and also smaller cities like Landsmeer and Bussum. No matter where your office is, you can sign up and we’ll let you know what we can do for you.
• How quickly will my office be full?
• This isn't easy to predict. Some offices fill up after a week, some take longer. Launchdesk works very hard to find new renters for you. However, it is important to know that you, as a landlord, also have a lot of influence in this process.
  
  Price versus quality is of great importance for example. As there is plenty of vacancy in the current market, potential renters have many options to choose from. If your rental price is too high for what you are offering, then you may not receive many viewers. Plus, an empty office won't bring you any money, so it’s usually better to ask for a little less so you can get the ball rolling. Once your office starts filling up and has a good vibe, the chances are higher that people will start renting.
  
  Plus, a good tour of your office makes all the difference. Take your time to show someone around, explain everything, introduce the person to the other people at the office, let them try out the office for a day, and so on.
  
  If you follow these steps, then it won't be difficult for Launchdesk to arrange plenty of viewers and find renters for you. We always evaluate how your office does in the marketplace and we'll happily give you tips for improvement when necessary.
• How much rent should I charge?
• What you can charge for a desk or a space depends on many factors. Location is of course important but that’s not the only important aspect. The more you organise and provide for your renters, the more you can ask for. Is there a good Internet connection? Is there a communal lunch? Is there a meeting room? Can companies register at your address? All these things determine what your rental price should be.
  
  Need some examples? The price for a fulltime workspace on Launchdesk varies between €120 and €350. The average rental price of a workspace on Launchdesk is around €225. Most often these prices include everything, from coffee and tea to the use of all amenities. On the other hand, prices for office spaces can vary immensely.
  
  Setting your rental price right is really important because it determines how quickly you’ll get new renters. The market has plenty of vacancy so a steep rental price will lead to few viewers. An empty office doesn’t make any money, so it’s usually a good idea to ask a bit less. An empty office won't bring you any moeny, so it’s usually better to ask for a little less so you can get the ball rolling. Once your office starts filling up and has a good vibe, the chances are higher that people will start renting.
  
  We have a great structure to help you determine what your rental price should be. If you contact us we can provide you with some important information and start discussing what would be best for you.
• Can I also cancel the contract of renters myself?
• Yes, it is always possible to give your renter their (cancellation) notice, though how quickly you can do this depends on the notice period and the conditions that you've specified in your contract. For example, a notice can be ongoing or can be extended over time. A notice is usually mutual, so what you ask from a renter, you'll have to adhere to yourself as well.
  
  For instance, it’s always best (when it comes to desks) to have a flexible ongoing contract with no determind end date. Most offices on Launchdesk have a notice period of two months, but this can also be shorter. The notice for large spaces is usually a bit longer, six months for example.
  
  Launchdesk will set up your contracts with the notice period that you wish to have. All of this is taken care of in your office intake. Plus, we're always here to help you with the specific conditions that you want to add to your contracts.
• Can I increase my rent especially for Launchdesk renters?
• You are not supposed to increase your rent for renters that Launchdesk has found for you. You (the landlord) are Launchdesk’s customer and potential renters can use Launchdesk as a reliable platform. So we don't think that renters are supposed to pay for the Launchdesk service.
  
  If you charge different prices for renters in the same office, it can quickly lead to conflicts, disagreement and ultimately cancellations. You can always talk to us when you are in doubt about your pricing or if you think that you can’t afford the commission. We are always happy to provide advice.
• How does the rent invoicing work?
• Launchdesk takes care of invoicing the renters which started renting through Launchdesk. We can also do this for your own existing renters for €7,50 per month.
  
  Every two weeks before the start of each month, Launchdesk will send your renters an invoice for the rent and any other possible costs e.g. a parking space. The invoices must be paid before the first day of each month. Any renters which haven’t paid on this date will immediately receive a reminder. We'll make sure invoices are paid and consult with you if a renter has an overdue payment.
  
  The rent is then paid by the renter to a Launchdesk bank account. We transfer the rent to your own bank account, minus our own fee. We keep an overview of incoming payments (we check this almost daily) and we'll also immediately transfer any payments to you.
  
  You can also track everything in your landlord dashboard; from the status of payments per renter to money transfers from Launchdesk. So you don’t have to be scared that the administration becomes a big 'black hole'.
• Can I also use Launchdesk without the administration services?
• We handle all of the administration for renters that rent through Launchdesk and we can also offer this service for renters that you've found yourself. Launchdesk sets up contracts between you and your renter, takes care of rental invoices and makes sure your renters pay on time each month.
  
  Would you rather use your own contract because you have very specific conditions? That won't be a problem at all. We can add your own contract directly into our system and supply it to your renters using your template.
  
  Do you already have your own administration system? No problems! Every month you'll receive a report from us for all of your renters and you can add this to your bookkeeping in less than a minute.
  
  If you have a small or medium-sized location with desks, the administration has to be done by Launchdesk. This is the only way for us to streamline our working process and being able to offer our services at such low cost.
  
  For large spaces which absolutely have to handle contracts and invoicing themselves, we can leave out our administration service. In that case we charge our commission upfront rather than each month.
• Why is the commission for desks/workspaces higher?
• When Launchdesk finds a renter for a desk/workspace, you will pay 15% commission of their monthly rent. However, for entire office spaces the commission is only 10%. This is because there are more costs involved in finding a renter for a desk, as we have to do more marketing and arrange many more viewings, for example.
  
  We stop charging a commission for an office space after 12 months. However, the commission for renting a desks is continuous. This is because the average workspace user only stays 9 or 10 months, so we need to continuously charge a commission in order to keep the average amount earned per workspace/desk even.
• What if I already have a realtor?
• If you have an existing realtor for your building or space, it is difficult to use another service to find renters because usually a realtor demands exclusivity.
  
  Launchdesk does work together with realtors and has a very good model for this. So if you have a realtor and you still would like to work with launchdesk, we can contact them in order to propose a cooperation.
• Can I easily stop working with Launchdesk?
• Yes, of course you can. If you no longer wish to work with Launchdesk, you can give us your notice at any time. However, you will still have to continue paying the commission for the renters, which started renting through Launchdesk as long as they remain in your office.
• There are plenty of websites for finding renters. Why should I choose Launchdesk?
• We know that you have many different options for finding renters online. What makes Launchdesk unique is the quality of the office listings and the way that we promote your office.
  
  We are a match making service that goes the extra mile. We create a perfect webpage for your office which includes professional photos and attractive descriptions of what you offer. Due to this, potential renters can quickly determine whether your office is a match or not. We also market your office actively and introduce it daily to potential renters, which are looking for what you’re offering. We plan viewings for you and we are very precise with getting feedback. And we do all of this for free!
  
  Why do we do this for free? Because we want Launchdesk to be the best online platform for (starting or existing) entrepreneurs to find a workspace or office. The Launchdesk team works hard at this every day, so you can have a full office and the peace of mind that comes with it.
• What does the acquisition by SKEPP mean?
• As of October 1st 2016, Launchdesk is acquired by SKEPP. Due to this take over SKEPP will be responsible for all the duties, formerly taken care of by Launchdesk. This way Launchdesk contributes to the ambitions of SKEPP. Part of the staff from Launchdesk was transferred to SKEPP. For the users of Launchdesk nothing will change, the offer will stay the same. The only difference is that, when you contact us in the future, employees of SKEPP will be speaking to you instead of Launchdesk personnel.