The price on a coworking plan tells you what staying costs. The agreement tells you what leaving costs, and in five published documents from coworking operators that cost depends on four clauses: how much notice you must give, whether a fixed term renews on its own, what happens to a deposit and whether the operator can change the price or end the arrangement first. The notice requirement alone runs from effective on the day you ask to three months before a longer term ends.
Three figures from those documents show how far apart they sit.
How do coworking membership agreements compare?
The table sets out how each document handles leaving, renewing and paying. Where a cell says a point is not mentioned, the document is silent on it. When you browse coworking spaces across the US, plan to request the operator's full agreement rather than rely on a listing.
| Document | How you leave | Renewal and price changes | Deposit and refunds |
|---|---|---|---|
| WeWork membership and hot desk terms (dated October 21, 2021) | Cancel at any time by request; effective immediately on receipt of notice | No minimum term or automatic renewal period stated; WeWork may decline to renew at the end of a subscription period; fee changes take effect from your next subscription period | No deposit mentioned; all fees non-refundable, no refund of amounts already paid on cancellation |
| STUDIO B. (Georgia) (STUDIO B. terms published on Tech Square ATL, undated) | Cancel after your first full month of payment, subject to 30 days' written notice | Monthly terms with a 31-day minimum billing period; operator may decline to renew; price changes not addressed | No deposit specified in these terms; no refund of amounts already paid |
| Saltbox help pages on moving out early and billing after an agreement ends (dated August 25, 2026) | At least 30 days' written notice on the operator's cancellation form; email not accepted; move-outs take effect on the last day of a month | Late notice means being billed for the following month; discounts given during the term must be repaid at move-out | Early fixed-term termination forfeits the deposit; otherwise, remaining deposit is generally refunded within 30–45 days after settlement and walkthrough |
| Regus Global Terms (March 2022, as filed with the SEC) | Month-to-month: at least one month's notice from the first day of a calendar month; 3-month term: two months before the end; longer terms: three months; given through the online account or app | Renews automatically for periods equal to the current term; renewal fees at the then prevailing market rate | Deposit (the amount sits in a separate local agreement not read) returned within 30 days after the agreement ends, less amounts owed |
| Industrious membership agreement (January 2024, negotiated and filed publicly by a customer) | Written notice at least two calendar months before the term ends to stop renewal; Industrious may end the agreement for convenience on 30 days' written notice | Renews for a term equal to the initial term; fees may change for the renewal term on 80 days' written notice before it starts, with adjustments not to exceed 8% at a time and notice given before the renewal term | Deposit of 1.5 times the monthly fee in the example; refund within 45 days after termination, subject to satisfaction of obligations as Industrious determines |
BestCoworking's reading of each document's text as retrieved on October 20, 2026. Terms differ by plan, location and negotiation, and the larger operators' documents may have been updated since the versions read here.
How much notice do coworking agreements require?
The counting rule matters more than the number: the headline notice period is only half the clause, because the other half is when the clock runs and when you stop paying. A hot-desk plan that cancels the moment you ask is the simplest to leave, although WeWork's terms still refund nothing already paid. The 30-day clauses are harder to judge from the number alone.
Saltbox's help pages say a move-out takes effect on the last day of a month and that 30 days' written notice is needed. On a straight reading, someone submitting the form on March 10 would ordinarily need to plan for an April 30 move-out under these published rules, subject to confirmation from Saltbox. That is BestCoworking's worked example from the help page's wording, not a statement in the agreement itself, but it shows how a 30-day rule may extend billing to the end of the following month. Confirm the precise final date with the operator.
The Regus Global Terms count month-to-month notice in calendar months from the first day of a month, and the Industrious agreement counts two calendar months before the end of a fixed term. Reading the Industrious wording for a term ending January 31 (BestCoworking's example, not the agreement's), two calendar months before points to the end of November, so notice given in early December would be late. Where a clause renews for another full term, late notice can mean a second term.
Ask for a date, not a number
When an operator says "30 days" or "one month," ask them to name the last day you would owe fees if you gave notice today. The answer tells you what the clause means in practice.
Do coworking agreements renew and raise prices on their own?
Automatic renewal is stated in the Regus and Industrious documents; the other three source sets do not establish the same fixed-term renewal mechanism. The Regus Global Terms say: "ALL AGREEMENTS WILL RENEW AUTOMATICALLY FOR SUCCESSIVE PERIODS EQUAL TO THE CURRENT TERM," with renewal fees at "THE THEN PREVAILING MARKET RATE." The Industrious agreement renews for a term equal in length to the initial term and sets its own limit on increases: adjustments "will not exceed 8% at a time," on 80 days' written notice.
That 8% cap is easier to judge with numbers. The monthly license fee in the filed agreement's example is $3,668.25. An 8% increase adds $293.46 a month and brings it to $3,961.71, or about $3,520 more over twelve months if the fee stayed flat for a year (BestCoworking's arithmetic on the figures in the filing, which cover a two-office deal). A cap helps, but one permitted increase on a fee that size is still a real line item.
WeWork's terms handle price differently: fee changes take effect from the next subscription period, and you may cancel if you disagree. The STUDIO B.'s terms do not mention price changes at all, which leaves the point to ask about rather than assume.
What happens to a coworking security deposit?
Three of the five source sets discuss deposits. In the filed Industrious agreement it is 1.5 times the monthly fee, which comes to $5,502.38 against that $3,668.25 fee, with refund promised within 45 days after termination, subject to the member's obligations being satisfied as Industrious determines. Regus promises return within 30 days after the agreement ends, less amounts owed. Saltbox distinguishes early termination from an ordinary move-out: breaking a fixed term early forfeits the deposit, while its billing guidance says the remaining deposit is refunded within 30–45 days after the account is settled and the suite walkthrough is completed.
The WeWork and STUDIO B. documents mention no deposit. That silence does not mean none is ever charged, so ask.
What else do the agreements say about leaving and refunds?
Four other clauses recur across the documents and change how much the notice period protects you.
Some operators can end it too
STUDIO B. terms let the operator terminate "possibly without prior notice," and the excerpt read did not say whether that depends on a breach. The Industrious agreement lets it end the arrangement for convenience on 30 days' written notice. WeWork's terms let it decline to renew. A notice period that binds you may not bind the operator in the same way.
Several documents distinguish membership from a lease
WeWork and Regus disclaim a tenancy interest; the Industrious agreement calls the arrangement a revocable license; STUDIO B. also says it creates no real-property estate. The legal effect depends on applicable law and facts. What that means legally is a question for a lawyer.
Two documents refund nothing already paid
WeWork says all fees are non-refundable and gives no refund of amounts already paid on cancellation. The STUDIO B. gives no refund of amounts already paid. The other source sets have different billing and deposit provisions; do not treat a deposit refund as a refund of prepaid membership fees.
Dispute clauses differ
The Industrious agreement sends disputes to arbitration conducted on an individual basis. The Regus Global Terms point to the courts of the center's jurisdiction instead. Check which applies to you and which state's law governs.
How to compare the real cost of leaving
Instead of comparing monthly fees alone, ask each operator for a written exit-cost scenario using the same hypothetical move-out date. Add together membership fees through the final billable day, any unearned discount repayments, outstanding services, and the portion of a deposit that may be retained. Keep refundable deposits separate from nonrefundable charges: they affect cash flow differently.
What to ask before you sign a coworking agreement
Every item below maps to a difference in the five documents, so none is generic. If an operator answers by phone, ask for the answer by email and keep it with the agreement.
Ask for these in writing
- The last day you would owe fees if you gave notice today, and the exact way notice must be sent
- Whether the term renews automatically, for how long and by what date you must say no
- When the price can change (during the term or only at renewal), by how much and with how many days' notice
- Any deposit: what it is calculated against, when it is returned and what lets the operator keep it
- If the operator can end your membership early or without notice, what you would be refunded
- Whether discounts or promotional months must be repaid if you leave early
- How disputes are resolved, and which state's law governs
If you are weighing several operators, ask each to send its membership agreement before you book a tour.
Documents read, dates and limits
The linked sources were reviewed on October 20, 2026. This comparison reports the published wording available at review, not an audit of every current contract variant. (1) WeWork, "We Membership & Hot Desk Terms and Conditions," dated October 21, 2021 on the page; it describes itself as creating no tenancy interest. (2) The terms page of an independent STUDIO B. (Collaborative Real Estate, LLC, branded Tech Square ATL; no date and no city stated). (3) Saltbox Help Center articles on moving out and on billing after an agreement ends, both dated August 25, 2026; they refer to Section 2(e) of its membership agreement, which was not read, and describe refunds of remaining deposits after settlement. (4) Regus Global Terms, March 2022, as filed as an exhibit to a public company's annual report; it incorporates a separate Local Services Agreement and house rules that were not read. (5) An Industrious membership agreement with a contract date of January 19, 2024 for two offices, filed publicly by a customer, so its prices and deposit are deal-specific; the cited provisions were checked in the publicly available contract text. The dollar figures come from that filing, and the percentage calculations are BestCoworking's arithmetic. Not covered: other operators, current standard forms, state law and any individual's negotiated terms.
The cheapest-looking plan is not always the cheapest to leave, and the difference is written in the clauses. Read the notice clause first, then the renewal clause, and bring any question the document leaves open to the operator before you sign. When you are ready to shortlist, compare coworking spaces listed on BestCoworking and ask the operators for their agreements side by side.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on the operator, plan and agreement. In the documents reviewed, cancellation provisions range from immediate cancellation requests for certain WeWork memberships to three months' notice before the end of longer Regus terms. Always check how notice is counted and when billing actually stops.
Some do. The publicly filed Regus and Industrious agreements reviewed include automatic-renewal provisions. A missed cancellation deadline can result in another contractual term, so confirm the renewal length and deadline before signing.
Often, subject to the agreement and outstanding obligations. The Regus document provides for return within 30 days, while Saltbox describes refunds of remaining deposits within 30–45 days after settlement and inspection. Saltbox also states that breaking a fixed-term agreement early forfeits the deposit.
Not necessarily. Several reviewed documents describe membership or license arrangements rather than traditional tenancy rights. The legal treatment depends on the agreement, applicable law and circumstances.
Depending on the contract, yes. Some agreements allow price changes at renewal or with specified notice. One publicly filed Industrious agreement limits individual adjustments to 8%, but that negotiated provision should not be assumed to apply to every Industrious membership.
