The notice period: what to set and why
Thirty days is the standard notice period for coworking cabins in India, from either side. It is long enough to find the next member and short enough that a member who has outgrown you does not feel trapped. Dedicated desks are often 15 days; hot desks and passes have none because they are prepaid.
Two details to settle in the agreement, because they cause the most arguments:
- When notice starts. From the date it is given in writing, or from the next billing date? "Thirty days from written notice" is clearer and fairer than "one full calendar month", which can mean 59 days if notice comes on the 2nd.
- Lock-in. If a member on an 11-month agreement with a 6-month lock-in leaves in month four, decide whether the balance of the lock-in is payable, and write it down. Most small operators charge the notice period only; some charge the lock-in balance from the deposit.
Ask for notice in writing, which includes an email or a WhatsApp message to your business number. Acknowledge it the same day, with the last day and what happens next, so both sides are working from the same dates.
A notice acknowledgement you can copy
Hi Karthik, noted, thank you. Your 30-day notice for Cabin 301 starts today, so your last day will be 31 October. The October invoice will be the final one, and we will do a quick walk-through of the cabin on your last day. The deposit settlement goes out within 15 days of handover. If plans change and you would like to stay, just say.
Why members leave, and whether to ask them to stay
Ask every leaving member why, in a normal conversation, not a form. The common reasons are: taking their own office, cost, needing a bigger or smaller cabin, moving city, or something about the space they never raised. The last two in that list are worth acting on at once: offer the bigger cabin before they sign elsewhere, and fix the complaint before the next person leaves for the same reason. A month free rarely keeps someone who has decided to go; a quick fix to a real problem often does.
During the notice period
- List the cabin as available from the last day on your website, Google Business Profile and aggregator listings, and tell your open enquiries. The cabin should ideally be re-let before it empties.
- Show the cabin to prospects during the notice period, with the member's agreement and at times that suit them. Most members do not mind if asked politely.
- Send the final invoice on time. If the member leaves mid-month, pro-rate the licence fee by days and add any meeting room hours, printing or other extras up to the exit date. Send it a week before the last day so it can be paid before handover.
- Check their ledger. Any old arrears should be settled before the last day, not netted off the deposit as a surprise.
- Help with the practical bits: courier address change, redirecting post that arrives after they leave, and an end date for their virtual office or business address use if they had one.
The move-out inspection
On the last day, walk the cabin with the member, against the inventory and photos from move-in. This takes ten minutes and prevents nearly every deposit dispute. Check:
- Furniture present and in working order: desks, chairs, pedestals, whiteboard.
- Walls and glass: marks from tape, nails or mounts beyond normal wear.
- Keys, access cards, locker keys and any parking tags returned.
- Their belongings cleared, including the pedestal and any items in the pantry fridge.
- Nameplate removed; company name taken off the directory and the door.
Write down anything to be deducted, with a photo, and confirm it with the member on the spot, ideally by sending the list on WhatsApp so it sits in their chat too. If a repair needs a vendor quote, say so and give a date.
Handover and access
Once the inspection is done, switch off their access: cards, Wi-Fi credentials, the door code if you use one, and their login to any member app or booking page. Remove them from the members' broadcast list. If they used your address on their GST registration or letterhead, agree a date by which they will update it, and keep a note; post will keep arriving for a while.
The final settlement
Within two working days of handover, send one statement that brings everything together:
| Line | Example |
|---|---|
| Security deposit held | ₹20,000 |
| Less: final invoice balance (if unpaid) | ₹3,500 |
| Less: deductions from inspection, with bills | ₹1,200 |
| Refund due | ₹15,300 |
| Refund by | 15 November, to the account the deposit came from |
Then transfer it on or before that date and send the proof. Our security deposit guide covers what may be deducted and the GST treatment of any amount you keep. Mark the member as "former" rather than deleting them; you will want their invoices, agreement and settlement on file for your accounts and in case anything comes up later.
Re-letting the cabin quickly
An empty cabin costs its full rent every day it sits. The fastest re-lets come from:
- Existing members who want to grow or shrink. Tell them first; moving a 2-seat member into the vacated 4-seat cabin and re-letting the smaller one is often quicker than finding a new 4-seat company.
- Open enquiries from the last 60 days who did not sign because nothing was free. A single message, "a 4-seat cabin opens on the 1st", often closes one of them.
- Your website and Google listing, updated the day notice is given, not the day the cabin empties.
Between members, do the small things that make a cabin show well: a fresh coat on the marked wall, chairs cleaned, a working bulb, the previous nameplate gone. A cabin shown in good condition lets at full price; one with the last tenant's tape marks invites a discount.
Keep ex-members as leads, not strangers
A member who left for their own office may be back in a year when the lease pinches, and a member who moved city knows people. Keep them in your leads list tagged "former member" with the reason and date, and:
- Send a thank-you message after the refund lands, with a line that they are welcome back and a referral offer, such as a month free for any referral who signs.
- Keep them on an occasional, low-frequency update (new location, new rooms), never the weekly promotions.
- Ask for a Google review while the experience is fresh and the refund has just arrived. Reviews written on the day of a prompt refund are the best ones you will get.
Coworking OS moves a leaving member from Members to Leads with their history intact, so the "welcome back" conversation six months later starts with context. Whatever you use, the point is the same: an exit handled on time and in writing is the cheapest marketing a coworking space does.
Exit checklist
- Written notice received and acknowledged with the last day.
- Reason noted; bigger cabin or fix offered if relevant.
- Cabin listed as available and shown to prospects.
- Final pro-rated invoice sent a week before exit; old arrears cleared.
- Move-out inspection against the inventory, confirmed on WhatsApp.
- Keys, cards, access and logins returned and switched off.
- Settlement statement within two working days; refund on the promised date.
- Cabin refreshed and re-let; member kept as a lead with a thank-you and a review request.