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MakeOffices Misleading Advertising Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Unsuspecting Entrepreneur Forced to Pay 3 Month Rent for 3 weeks of Use
When WorkShare Space say "We are pretty flexible, Month-to-Month", what exactly do they mean?!? How is it REALLY different from the ANNUAL lease you signed at your apartment building, or Commercial Office building, with a 30-60day notice and early move-out penalty (which basically means they take your security deposit)?
More often than not, there is NO difference. The "Flexible Month-to-Month" is a MISLEADING marketing statement, because when they apply the 30-60 day notice on top, it's no different than an Annual Lease with a regular Apartment Building or Commercial Office - you will end up paying 2-3 more months' of rent when you move out and lose your security deposit in both situations. Well, at least when you move out of your apartment at the end of the term, you don't need to pay extra rent and can actually get your deposit back!
Personally, I've just been burned heavily by MakeOffices with paying 3 months of rent and losing my security deposit for ONLY 3 weeks of use. I signed up on April 20th, tried it out for 3 weeks, didn't feel like the environment fit with my work arrangement, and moved out on May 12th. I did expect to pay the full month rent of May, but little did I expect to be slapped with a bill for three months (Apri, May, June) based on the "30 Day Notice" (which they conveniently didn't mention on the tour) and lost my security deposit. It's really not a "Flexible Month-to-Month" deal, it's the same-old same-old Month-To-Two-Month-and-We-Eat-Your-Security-Deposit deal.
In a nutshell, paying 3 Months' Rent for 3 weeks of use - this is not the deal an entrepreneur is looking for in flexible startup arrangement. To say they are "Flexible Month-to-Month" is misleading advertising and marketing, because when they add on a 30-60 Day "Notice", it's NO DIFFERENT than a regular annual lease with early move penalty - or even worse.
Since then, I called 6 other WorkShare spaces in Philly, and it sounds like WeWork and Industrious imposed the same 30 Day Notice, and Pipeline imposes a 60 Day Notice, while more locally based City SoHo, BDX and Indy Hall are all pretty flexible in working with entrepreneurs on terms and situations on a case by case basis. One would question whether the venture backed chains, hiding behind their accounting procedures and bureaucracy, are losing touch with how real entrepreneurs operate in Philly, while local providers are more likely to cater to the real flexibility their customers - entrepreneurs - desire.