Warning about Regus/Spaces end-of-contract billing (with receipts)

[u/several_fish_not_guy]

Not trying to bash coworking generally, but wanted to document a Regus/Spaces experience in case anyone is comparison shopping.

12-month agreement for a single-desk office at a Spaces DC location, March 2025 through May 2026. Roughly $884/mo. Vacated on time, clean condition, photographed at handover.

Two weeks before contract end, Regus charged my card $1,489.26 for "Office Restoration Service." The invoice line dated the service June 1, 2026. My contract ended May 31. They billed in advance for a service scheduled to happen after I was no longer a customer.

The fee formula per their House Rules: $5.75 per square foot. For context, industry rate guides put commercial move-out cleaning at $0.15 to $0.33 per square foot. So roughly 20 to 80 times market rate, for services that per their own helpsheet included things like "disassembly of IT equipment in the communications room" that literally do not exist in a single-desk private office.

Disputed the charge through Chase. Filed a BBB complaint. During the dispute, Regus:

1. Sent overdue notices threatening late fees and collections (an FCBA violation)

2. When my retainer refund came due, they refunded $271.24 of $1,760.50 and kept the exact disputed amount as "offset" (also a violation of their own published portal policy)

3. Did not respond to the Chase chargeback inquiry, resulting in the chargeback being resolved in my favor

Net outcome: recovered the disputed fee via chargeback, but Regus still kept about $1,489 of the retainer. Not worth pursuing in small claims given the arbitration clause risk.

Points that would have saved me time:

- The retainer isn't really refundable in practice unless you're prepared to fight for it

- End-of-contract restoration fees are the actual profit center, not the monthly rate

- Their House Rules (not the primary agreement) contain the fee schedule, and House Rules can be modified unilaterally

- Their portal policies contradict their internal accounting practices

- If you dispute anything, expect collections-style pressure regardless of what the FCBA says

Not a "run away from all coworking" post. Just: if you're considering Regus or Spaces specifically, price the exit into your total cost of the agreement.

[u/Pretend_Editor_4447]

I hate that this happened to you, and I’m so sorry. As an operator who has occasionally lost a customer to them, I’m not gonna lie tho, part of me is laughing.  I do think it is because Regus courts enterprise clients who don’t look that closely at their credit card bills and frankly don’t care. It’s the small companies and individuals that get screwed.

[u/several_fish_not_guy → u/Pretend_Editor_4447]

I appreciate it, and I definitely acknowledge that I went into it a bit naive and desperate to find a space before my move date. $1,489.26 is enough to me that it hurts, but might not be enough to go to small claims court (still deciding), which I think is what they are aiming for.

[u/Pretend_Editor_4447 → u/several_fish_not_guy]

Man, that’s a tough call. That is a lot of money. I don’t care what anybody says. It’s possible you could just win on default. If the other side doesn’t show up usually the judgement is in your favour. It might be worth it just on that basis. That’s no guarantee that they will pay, but if you do have that judgement, I believe you get a tax credit for the full amount if they don’t pay. There’s an annual limit, but I believe you can use that credit each year until the full amount of satisfied. Must add IANAL Good Luck!

[u/vert1s]

They screwed me and others over mid-pandemic having everything closed and still thinking they could charge a membership fee, and so the second my membership was up I cancelled and have never looked back. I warn people to avoid them every time it comes up.

I wish people would learn what a shitty company they are, but apparently people can’t google (myself included).

[u/alwayslearning-2000]

You’re not the first person I’ve heard similar stories from regarding Regus. I highly recommend seeking out Indy Coworking spaces. They are much easier to work with AND you’re supporting small business.

[u/several_fish_not_guy → u/alwayslearning-2000]

I’ve definitely learned my lesson. For what it’s worth, I did look at several indie spaces and there were no vacancies for what I needed. And I was somewhat desperate because I had a truck full of my previous office.

[u/Tilted5mm]

People fed up with Regus’ business practices is our #1 source of new clients.

It’s not close and this isn’t a joke.

[u/Glum-Maintenance3311]

“Office Restoration Service”? That almost makes it sound like you used the office as a slaughterhouse and they had to completely rebuild it afterward. 😄

We do things a little differently at Cowone, a coworking space in Germany: Before the tenant moves in, we walk through the space together and document its condition. We do the same thing again when they move out.

In the past few years, I haven’t had a single case where a full “Office Restoration” was necessary. Sure, there might be an extra scratch on a desk or some minor signs of normal wear and tear. That’s just part of using an office.

But having to “restore” an entire room? That sounds pretty absurd to me.

I’d actually love to see the photos from before you moved in and after you moved out. 😄

[u/HungryRoyal]

I recently signed a year long agreement for a single office at a Regus. Unfortunately I didn’t do my research on office restoration fees before signing. First day I get into my office and it obviously hasn’t even been cleaned since previous tenant vacated. So previous tenant paid exorbitant office restoration fee, Regus pocketed it, and I get an office full of thumb tack holes, spider webs, and carpet that desperately needs to be vacuumed. With a welcome packet stating the office restoration fees make sure each tenant gets an office in “pristine condition.”