Your monthly payment has two parts: the rent, which secures your private office and the key to your room; and a service charge of £150 per month, which covers everything else — gas, electricity, lighting, cleaning, business-grade broadband, use of the boardroom, kitchen facilities, and all communal areas. The service charge is the same for every office regardless of size, and it is reviewed annually. There are no other hidden utility costs.

 The only additional costs to be aware of are business rates and your own contents insurance. On business rates, Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR) historically applies to our offices and most tenants find they are zero-rated — but we recommend confirming this with Durham County Council before you sign. On insurance, we insure the building and all communal areas, but tenants are responsible for insuring the contents of their own office — your equipment, devices, and personal belongings.

When you sign your lease you will pay: one month's rent as a security deposit, your first month's rent in advance, a £50 refundable deposit for your main door key fob, and a £20 refundable deposit for your office door keys. Rent is invoiced in advance each month — we do not operate rent in arrears. Your total monthly ongoing cost is your office rent plus the £150 service charge. All costs are shown on each office listing on this page so you can see the full picture before you get in touch.

The minimum lease term is six months. Most of our tenants prefer the certainty of a longer term — one year and two years are our most common — and we would always encourage you to take the term that suits your business best. At the end of your term, your lease automatically renews for the same length again unless you give three months' written notice before the end date. So a one-year lease rolls into another year, a two-year lease rolls into another two years. Notice to end the lease must be given in writing by either party.

Absolutely — and it happens regularly. Subject to availability, you can move into a larger suite or simply take on an additional office alongside your existing one. Some of our tenants have grown from a single office into multiple suites on the same floor, effectively creating their own private area within the building. Moving to a larger space requires a new lease agreement. There is no financial penalty for upgrading mid-term, provided your current office is returned in the same condition it was let to you.

Yes. You are welcome to use 16 Tenters Street, Bishop Auckland, DL14 7AD as your registered business address and trading address for correspondence, invoices, and your website. The one condition is that all registrations to the building — including Companies House, HMRC, and any other bodies — must be updated or removed as part of your departure process before your deposit is returned. This protects all tenants in the building from receiving mail intended for previous occupants.

Yes. Post is sorted into individual trays for each tenant. For small parcels — anything that would fit in a standard parcel box — we are happy to take these in on your behalf. For larger deliveries, we ask that you are on site to receive and sign for them yourself. Please do not arrange large or heavy deliveries without being present — we are not able to move or store oversized items on your behalf.

Yes — Abyte House is well set up for professional client visits. The boardroom is available for tenants to book free of charge and is equipped with a screen for presentations and screen casting. You can also meet clients in your own office if you prefer. As the front door is kept locked for security, you will need to be on site to let your visitor in. If your visitor is driving, please pass their vehicle details to us by email so we can register them for our visitor parking spaces and ensure they do not receive a parking ticket.

Abyte House is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Every tenant is issued a smart key fob for the main building entrance, giving you independent access at any time — early mornings, evenings, weekends, and bank holidays. The building has CCTV and a security alarm system. Outside of weekday office hours, access is entirely self-managed via your fob.

Abyte House is managed by Abyte Solutions, an IT company based in the building, and the broadband infrastructure reflects that. The building has a dedicated superfast business-grade fibre connection — not a shared residential line. Every tenant gets their own private wi-fi network with a unique password for their office. If you need a business phone number, Abyte Solutions can also set you up with a VOIP phone system on the network — speak to us about this when you sign up.

Every office is furnished with a desk, office chair, and storage unit. When you sign up you simply tell us how many desks and chairs you need and we will have the office ready for you. To protect the building and maintain a consistent, professional environment for all tenants, we ask that you do not bring your own furniture or swap out the items provided. Any changes to the office — including fitting shelves or mounting anything to the walls — must be agreed with us in advance.

Communal areas — corridors, kitchens, and bathrooms on both floors — are cleaned every Friday as standard. Your private office is yours to manage, and to respect your privacy we do not send the cleaner in without your knowledge. If you would like your office included in the Friday clean, simply add your office to the cleaning request board in the main hallway before Friday and the cleaner will include it that week.

Communal areas — corridors, kitchens, and bathrooms on both floors — are cleaned every Friday as standard. Your private office is yours to manage, and to respect your privacy we do not send the cleaner in without your knowledge. If you would like your office included in the Friday clean, simply add your office to the cleaning request board in the main hallway before Friday and the cleaner will include it that week.

Abyte House is a professional office environment designed for desk-based businesses — consultants, accountants, architects, solicitors, agencies, charities, associations, coaches, holistic therapists, counsellors, and anyone who needs a proper, private base to run their business. Our tenants have included MPs, councillors, creative professionals, and personal brand businesses. The building is not suitable for retail, storage, food production, or trade uses. If you are not sure whether your business is a good fit, just get in touch and we will let you know.