Rent Out Spare Office Space in Bankstown, Without a Lease

Plenty of Bankstown businesses pay rent on space they don't fully use. A boardroom that's full on Monday and empty the rest of the week. A second desk that hasn't had anyone at it since a staff member went remote. A warehouse bay that only fills up before Christmas.

That space costs you the same whether anyone's in it or not. This guide covers how to earn from it by the hour or the day without signing anyone up to a lease: what to charge, what to check before the first guest walks in, and how it works on CoHub.

Subletting vs renting by the hour: what's the difference?

When people search for how to "sublet office space", they usually picture a subtenant: someone who moves in, signs a sublease and stays for months. That's a big commitment. You're taking on a tenant, you need your landlord's consent, and getting the space back isn't simple.

Renting by the hour or day is lighter. On CoHub, each booking is a licence to use the space for a set time, not a lease. Nobody becomes your tenant, nothing renews, and if you stop accepting bookings, it simply stops. You set the price and the hours, and you approve or decline every request.

One thing to check first: if you rent your premises, read your own lease. Some leases restrict subletting, licensing or sharing the space, or say what it can be used for. If you're unsure, ask your landlord or property manager before you list.

What kind of space can you earn from?

Almost any commercial space that sits idle for predictable chunks of the week:

• A spare desk or two. Freelancers, sole traders and remote workers want somewhere to work that isn't the kitchen table. See how desks are listed on /desks.
• A meeting room or boardroom. Local businesses need a room for a client meeting, an interview or a training session, often for just an hour or two.
• A private office. Good for accountants, consultants and allied health practitioners who need a closed door for a day.
• A warehouse bay or storage area. Small online sellers and tradies sometimes need short-term floor space. CoHub has a warehouse space category for it.

The best candidates are spaces with a regular empty pattern, like "every Tuesday to Thursday" or "every afternoon", because that's easy to put on a calendar.

What should you charge in Bankstown?

Price is the question every host asks first. There's no single right answer, but you don't have to guess. Here's what's being charged locally right now (checked 27 September 2026):

A few rules of thumb when you set your own price:

• Price for what's included. A room with a screen, whiteboard, fast wifi and a kettle is worth more than an empty room. Say what's included in your listing.
• Hourly for rooms, daily for desks. Meeting rooms are usually booked in short blocks, while desks are usually booked for the day.
• Start slightly under the local anchor, then adjust. Once you've had a few bookings and some feedback, you can move your price.
• Set a minimum booking length if a one-hour booking isn't worth your time to turn around.

What you actually take home

CoHub is free to list on. When a booking is confirmed, the guest pays exactly the price you listed, with nothing added on top, and CoHub takes a flat 15% from your payout. The full detail is on the Fees page.

Here's a worked example. Your meeting room is listed at $55 an hour and someone books it for three hours:

• The guest pays $165
• CoHub's 15% fee is $24.75
• You receive $140.25

The first 50 hosts to list (our Founding Hosts) pay 0% on their first confirmed booking, so on that first booking you'd keep the full $165. The host page shows how many Founding Host spots are left.

That's an example only. How often your space gets booked depends on the space, your price, your hours and demand in your area. CoHub is new, and we'd rather tell you that straight than promise you an income.

Insurance and safety: sort this out before your first booking

This is the part most "earn from your spare room" articles skip. Please don't.

Talk to your insurer. Tell them you plan to let local businesses use your space by the hour or day, and ask whether your current public liability and contents policy covers that use. Some policies will, some need a note added and some won't. Get the answer in writing.

Don't assume CoHub covers you. CoHub's insurance position is still being finalised. We say so on the host page, and until that changes, your own cover is what protects you.

Set house rules. Put them in your listing: what guests can use, when they need to be out, whether food is OK, and who to call if something goes wrong.

Do a quick safety check. Clear exits, a working smoke alarm, a findable first aid kit and nothing to trip over. If guests will be alone, think about keys, alarms and what's left unlocked.

You approve every booking. On CoHub nothing books automatically. Every request comes to you, and you can decline anyone without giving a reason.

How listing on CoHub works

1. Create your listing. Add a few real photos, your price, your available hours and your house rules. It takes a few minutes. CoHub checks every listing before it goes live.
2. Get requests, not tenants. When someone wants your space, you get a request. Accept it or decline it.
3. Get paid through Stripe. The guest's card is authorised when they book and charged when you confirm. Your payout (the price minus 15%, or minus nothing on a Founding Host's first booking) goes to your account.
4. Meet the business next door. The person booking your room is usually a local business. For a café that's a customer, and for an accountant it might be a referral. If you'd like to meet more of them, MeetGreet lists local business networking events.

Cancellations are simple: guests can cancel more than 48 hours out for a full refund, and inside 48 hours the booking stands. See /legal/fees for the full policy.

FAQ

Do I need my landlord's permission to rent out my office by the hour? If you lease your premises, check your lease. Some restrict subletting, licensing or changes of use. If in doubt, ask your landlord before listing. If you own the space, check any strata or zoning rules that apply.

Is a CoHub booking a sublease? No. Each booking is a licence to use the space for a set time. There's no tenant, and nothing renews.

How much does CoHub charge hosts? Listing is free. CoHub takes 15% of your payout on each confirmed booking, and it's never added to what the guest pays. The first 50 Founding Hosts pay 0% on their first confirmed booking. See /legal/fees.

Does CoHub insure my space? Not at the moment. CoHub's insurance position is still being finalised, so check your own public liability and contents cover with your insurer before your first booking.

Can I say no to a booking? Yes. Every request comes to you to accept or decline, and you don't have to give a reason.

Is CoHub available outside Bankstown? Anyone in Australia can list a space, but today all live CoHub listings are in Bankstown, NSW, which is where we're starting.

Ready to try it? List your space free. It takes a few minutes, and you approve every booking.

CoHub Pty Ltd, Bankstown NSW. Prices checked 27 September 2026 and may change. This article is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice.