Editorial responsibility: Emmanuel DeGiovanni. Updated 31 October 2026.
For an initial office search in Malta, allow approximately 10–12 square metres of office space per person. This is a planning estimate, subject to the final layout. It is not an occupancy certificate, a legal minimum or a guarantee that a particular floor plan will accommodate the team.
Start with the area your team can actually use
Ask whether the advertised figure describes internal office area, a gross area including shared facilities, or a package that includes external space. Exclude parking, terraces and other non-office areas from the desk-space calculation. If the basis is unclear, identify that uncertainty before comparing properties.
The initial allowance must accommodate workstations alongside the internal meeting space, circulation, storage and other facilities your layout requires. Do not treat every square metre as a workstation.
Estimate space from team size
Multiply the number of people by 10 and by 12 to obtain an approximate initial search range:
- 10 people: approximately 100–120 square metres.
- 20 people: approximately 200–240 square metres.
- 30 people: approximately 300–360 square metres.
These examples use the same office-area assumption. Private offices, larger meeting rooms, specialist equipment or substantial storage can require more space. Hybrid teams should distinguish total headcount from the number of people who need a desk at the same time.
Estimate desks from an available office area
For an office area of A square metres, divide A by 12 for the lower estimate and by 10 for the upper estimate, rounding both to whole desks.
- 120 square metres: approximately 10–12 desks.
- 180 square metres: approximately 15–18 desks.
- 240 square metres: approximately 20–24 desks.
Every result is approximate and subject to the final layout. A long, narrow office or one with substantial internal obstructions may perform differently from an open rectangular floor plate of the same area.
Check the plan against the working day
List the rooms and activities the office must support: focused work, calls, confidential discussions, client meetings, storage, breaks and shared equipment. Check furniture dimensions, routes between rooms, daylight and the distribution of facilities. Ask for a measured plan rather than relying on photographs.
Where a serviced suite shares meeting rooms or other facilities outside the private office, compare both the private suite and its actual access rights. A provider’s desk count and a conventional-office area estimate use different assumptions.
Allow for growth explicitly
Write down your expected busiest-day occupancy now and over the proposed commitment period. Decide whether growth will be accommodated by spare desks, adaptable rooms, another suite or a later move. Keep that decision separate from the current team’s requirement.
Use the office space calculator to explore layouts, then compare the team-size guides. Confirm the final arrangement against the property’s approved use and building requirements before committing.
