An office sublease lets you take over part or all of another company’s space for the rest of its lease. In Canada that can mean a good office below market rent, or a term and a set of conditions you never chose. This guide explains how an office sublease works, where subleases are listed, what to ask before you sign, and how it compares with a serviced private office you can take by the month.
Comparing all your options? Our guide to the private offices in Canada covers costs, cities and how a serviced office works. For an overview of every option, see the full list of private offices in Canada.
Wezoo snapshot: private offices in Canada
- 3,133 serviced private offices in 160 buildings on Wezoo
- Minimum term: one month, on all 3,133 offices
- Listed starting prices: CAD 169 to CAD 54,825 per month
- 1,826 offices available now
- Top operators: Regus, Spaces, HQ
What is an office sublease, and what do you sign?
An office sublease is a lease inside a lease. The original tenant keeps its lease with the building owner, the head landlord, and rents part or all of the space to you. You sign with the original tenant, not with the owner.
Two documents matter. Your sublease sets your rent, your term and your obligations. The head lease sits above it, and its rules on use, alterations and the end of the term usually reach you too. Ask for a copy of the head lease before you agree to anything.
An office sublease is different from an assignment. In an assignment the original tenant hands over the whole lease and steps out; in a sublease it stays in the middle. That difference decides who you deal with when something breaks.
Where are office subleases listed in Canada?
Most office sublease space in Canada shows up in four places: commercial listing portals with a sublease filter, the sublease pages of large brokerages, local business networks and your own contacts. Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary have the deepest markets, because large tenants there regularly shed floors they no longer use.
Plenty of subleases are never advertised. A company that has shrunk often tells its broker first, and the space goes to whoever asks. If you want a specific building, ask the property manager whether any tenant there is looking to sublet.
The Business Development Bank of Canada points out the other side of the market: tenants sublease space when sales fall, so they can move without a large termination penalty. That is why sublease rents can be attractive, and why the remaining term is the first thing to check.
What to check before you sublease: term left, consent, condition and deposit
Five questions catch most problems with an office sublease. Ask them in writing and keep the answers.
How long is left on the head lease? Your sublease normally ends when the head lease does. A cheap rent with eight months left is a different deal from the same rent with four years left.
Has the head landlord consented? Many commercial leases require it. In Ontario, the Commercial Tenancies Act (section 23) says that where a lease requires consent to sublet, that consent is not to be unreasonably withheld unless the lease expressly provides otherwise, and a tenant can ask a judge to decide.
In Quebec, the OACIQ explains that the tenant gives the lessor notice with the name and address of the proposed subtenant, that the lessor may refuse only for a serious reason and should answer within 15 days, and that a commercial lease can change those rules. Other provinces differ, and in every province the lease itself is usually what decides.
Who restores the space at the end? Head leases often oblige the tenant to return the office to its original state. Agree in writing who pays for that, and photograph the condition on the day you move in.
Who holds the deposit, and when does it come back? You pay the original tenant, who has its own deposit with the landlord. Ask what happens to yours if the original tenant defaults or the head lease ends early.
Which head lease clauses bind you? Permitted use, signage, opening hours and alterations usually pass down. The BDC advises having a commercial real estate lawyer read a lease before you sign, and that applies twice to a sublease.
Office sublease or a flexible office: cost and commitment side by side
An office sublease and a serviced private office solve the same problem in different ways. One gives you a fixed space for a fixed remaining term. The other gives you a furnished office you can take by the month.
| Office sublease | Serviced private office on Wezoo | |
|---|---|---|
| Term | Whatever is left on the head lease, often one to several years | From one month on every Wezoo private office in Canada |
| Price basis | Rent set by the original tenant; ask what is included and whether GST or HST is on top | Monthly all-in starting price per office, listed from CAD 169 to CAD 54,825 |
| Furniture and fit-out | Whatever the original tenant leaves behind | Furnished, with shared lounges and meeting space in the building |
| Consent | Usually needs the head landlord’s approval | Your agreement is with the operator |
| Start date | When the paperwork and consent are done | Available now on 1,826 of 3,133 offices; a date on the rest |
Read the table as a list of questions, not a verdict.
Compare like with like. Sublease rent is usually rent for the space alone, and the Canada Revenue Agency treats a lease of commercial real property as a taxable supply, so GST or HST generally comes on top. A serviced office price is a monthly all-in figure for a furnished room. Neither number tells you much until you know what it covers.
Private offices on Wezoo you can move into without an office sublease
Wezoo does not list subleases. What it does list is 3,133 serviced private offices in 160 Canadian buildings, from operators including Regus, Spaces and HQ, all with a minimum term of one month. You request an office, and the operator confirms the price, the start date and what is included.
That makes a serviced office a fair benchmark for any office sublease you are offered. If the sublease rent, the remaining term and the fit-out still look better after the checks above, it may be the right call. If not, a month-to-month office keeps your options open. City guides go deeper: private offices in Toronto, office space for rent in Vancouver and private offices in Calgary.
8 private offices in Canada to request instead of an office sublease
One building in each of eight cities, from Halifax to Vancouver. The figures come from the Wezoo listings in November 2026: the number of private offices in the building, the lowest and highest listed monthly starting price, and how many are available now.
1. 180 John Street — Toronto
What to expect: A converted brick building on John Street, a short walk from Queen Street West and the Entertainment District, with breakout spaces and catering on site.
On Wezoo: 44 private offices for 1 to 17 people, listed from CAD 749 to CAD 12,733 per month, 24 of them available now. Operator: Spaces.
A Toronto option when the subleases you see downtown all want you to take over three years. Request 180 John Street on Wezoo
2. Park Place — Vancouver
What to expect: An office tower at 666 Burrard Street in the downtown core, with a lounge, a coffee bar and parking in the building.
On Wezoo: 37 private offices for 1 to 24 people, listed from CAD 459 to CAD 11,016 per month, 23 of them available now. Operator: Regus.
Fits a team that wants a Burrard Street address without inheriting someone else’s lease. Request Park Place on Wezoo
3. Telus Sky — Calgary
What to expect: Telus Sky at 685 Centre Street SW, one of the newer towers in the core, with a lounge and breakout areas.
On Wezoo: 23 private offices for 1 to 21 people, listed from CAD 559 to CAD 11,739 per month, 11 of them available now. Operator: Regus.
A Calgary alternative to a sublease in the core, priced per month instead of for the rest of a head lease. Request Telus Sky on Wezoo
4. 75 Queen Street — Montreal
What to expect: A Spaces centre at 75 Queen Street in Griffintown, between Old Montreal and the Lachine Canal.
On Wezoo: 33 private offices for 1 to 19 people, listed from CAD 375 to CAD 7,125 per month, 22 of them available now. Operator: Spaces.
Suits a Montreal team that needs a room this month, not a sublease that runs to the end of someone else’s term. Request 75 Queen Street on Wezoo
5. 208 Booth Street — Ottawa
What to expect: A Spaces centre with the address 310 Miwate Private, just west of downtown Ottawa, with a lounge, parking and step-free access.
On Wezoo: 27 private offices for 1 to 9 people, listed from CAD 285 to CAD 2,565 per month, 14 of them available now. Operator: Spaces.
A small-team option a few minutes west of downtown Ottawa. Request 208 Booth Street on Wezoo
6. 98 Avenue — Edmonton
What to expect: An HQ centre at 10611 98 Avenue on the edge of downtown, with parking and bike storage.
On Wezoo: 19 private offices for 1 to 11 people, listed from CAD 265 to CAD 2,915 per month, 13 of them available now. Operator: HQ.
The lowest listed starting price in this list, for an Edmonton team of one to eleven people. Request 98 Avenue on Wezoo
7. 6700 Century Ave — Mississauga
What to expect: A Regus centre at 6700 Century Ave in the Meadowvale business park, close to Highway 401.
On Wezoo: 27 private offices for 1 to 9 people, listed from CAD 415 to CAD 3,735 per month, 20 of them available now. Operator: Regus.
Fits a team in the western GTA that drives in, as an alternative to subleasing a suite in a suburban office park. Request 6700 Century Ave on Wezoo
8. Founders Square — Halifax
What to expect: Founders Square at 1701 Hollis Street, in the historic core near the waterfront, with parking and step-free access.
On Wezoo: 21 private offices for 1 to 14 people, listed from CAD 409 to CAD 5,726 per month, 14 of them available now. Operator: Regus.
The Atlantic option in this list, for a Halifax team that wants a furnished office without a sublease. Request Founders Square on Wezoo
Ready to request your private office in Canada?
Office sublease: FAQ
Is subletting an office legal in Canada?
Commercial leases are provincial, and the lease is usually what decides. In Ontario, the Commercial Tenancies Act says that when a lease requires the landlord’s consent to sublet, that consent is not to be unreasonably withheld unless the lease expressly says otherwise. In Quebec, the Civil Code lets a lessor refuse a sublease only for a serious reason, though a commercial lease can change those rules. Have a lawyer read the head lease.
Who do I pay in an office sublease?
Usually the original tenant, who keeps paying the head landlord. Your sublease sets the rent, the term and what happens if the original tenant defaults, so read it together with the head lease.
Is GST or HST charged on an office sublease?
The Canada Revenue Agency treats a lease, licence or similar arrangement for commercial real property as a taxable supply, so rent on office space generally carries GST or HST. Ask whether the quoted sublease rent includes it.
Where can I find office subleases in Toronto, Vancouver or Calgary?
Commercial listing portals, the sublease sections of large brokerages, local business networks and your own contacts. Listings move fast, and many subleases are never advertised.
What is the alternative to an office sublease?
A serviced private office. On Wezoo, all 3,133 private offices in Canada list a minimum term of one month, furnished and with the building’s shared spaces included. You request an office and the operator confirms the price and start date.
Sign the sublease you understand
A good office sublease is a bargain. A bad one is someone else’s lease with your name on it. Read the head lease, get the consent in writing, and measure the deal against an office you could take next month. If you also need a business address while you look, see our guide to the virtual office in Canada.
A note on the law
This article summarizes publicly available sources, including Ontario’s Commercial Tenancies Act, guidance from the OACIQ in Quebec, the BDC and the Canada Revenue Agency. It is general information, not legal or tax advice. Commercial tenancy rules differ by province, and your head lease and sublease usually decide what applies. Have a lawyer review both before you sign. Information checked 12 November 2026.
Sources: Ontario, Commercial Tenancies Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. L.7, s. 23 · OACIQ, assignment and sublease of a commercial lease · BDC, how to lease commercial real estate · BDC, how to negotiate a commercial lease · Canada Revenue Agency, GST/HST memorandum 19.4.1
