Most office leases run for a fixed term and cannot be terminated before it ends. When your needs change along the way, the rent keeps running. Perhaps you have downsized, perhaps hybrid work has left the open-plan floor too big, or perhaps you have outgrown the premises and already signed for new ones. Either way, the result is the same: you are paying for square metres nobody uses.
For many companies, subletting is the most realistic way out. This page brings together everything we have written on the topic, from rules and pricing to timelines and experiences from our own assignments. If you would rather speak to an advisor straight away, you can list your sublease with us.
What subletting is, and when it pays off
Subletting means that you, as the tenant, lease all or part of your premises to a third party. You become the landlord for the subtenant, but you remain bound by your lease with the property owner. The head lease continues as before.
We see the need arise in three typical situations. The first is downsizing or reorganisation, where part of the space ends up empty. The second is growth, where you move to larger premises and have to cover the cost of the old ones for the rest of the lease term. The third is expansion space: you have deliberately leased more than you need today and can sublet the surplus until you grow into it yourselves.
Read the full guide: What is subletting office space?
If you have space to spare for a period, you will find more advice in How to make use of surplus space and expansion space. If you no longer need the premises at all, we go through every option in What to do when you no longer need your office, and in Renegotiate your lease or move? we look at when it pays to negotiate with the landlord instead.
What the law and your lease say
Subletting office space is legal, but not unconditionally. The Norwegian Tenancy Act (husleieloven) states that a tenant cannot sublet without the landlord's consent, and for commercial premises the act can largely be set aside by agreement. In practice, it is your lease that decides what you can do.
Under the standard Norwegian lease agreements for commercial premises, subletting requires the landlord's prior written consent, and consent cannot be refused without reasonable grounds. The landlord will typically look at the subtenant's financial position, what kind of business they will run, and whether it fits the building. If the landlord is registered for VAT, you may also be required to register for VAT on the sublease.
Even though others are using the premises, you remain responsible to the landlord for rent, maintenance and use of the premises in line with the lease. If the subtenant fails to pay, you still have to pay. The sublease should therefore mirror the head lease on points such as term, service charges, CPI adjustment, maintenance responsibilities and deposit or other security. Before the subtenant moves in, you should also record the condition of the premises in a handover report.
Subletting should not be confused with assigning the lease. With an assignment, a new tenant takes over the lease and you step out. Under many standard agreements, the landlord can refuse an assignment without giving a reason, while a sublease can only be refused on reasonable grounds. That is one reason why subletting is often the most accessible option when you cannot terminate. Your specific lease always decides, however, and we recommend having a lawyer review it before you start.
Read the full guide: Is subletting office space legal?
To understand the lease itself better, we also recommend our guide to commercial lease agreements and our overview of termination, options and lease terms.
What rent you can expect
Start by mapping every cost associated with the premises: rent, service charges, property tax, electricity and cleaning, and any leased furniture. That is the amount the sublease needs to cover.
How much of it you recover depends mostly on size, location, standard and flexibility. In our own assignments we have seen everything from a 50% discount on large, inflexible spaces to up to 5% above the tenant's own costs for small, attractive premises. Furnished, move-in-ready premises under 300 m² are the ones most likely to cover their costs in full. Large spaces are harder, because tenants who need a lot of room usually want a long, predictable lease.
Read the full guide: What discount is normal when subletting office space?
Start earlier than you think
In our experience, finding a subtenant takes 1–3 months for smaller premises and 3–6 months for larger spaces. Getting the landlord's approval comes on top of that. We therefore recommend starting 3–6 months before you want the subtenant to take over. Good photos, the right price and a clear description of what is included will shorten the process noticeably. We have put together separate advice on marketing office space.
Read the full guide: How long does it take to find a subtenant?
Every month the premises stand empty, you pay full rent. That is why it is rarely wise to hold out for a better offer. A lower offer now can bring in more in total than a higher one three months later, because the sublease period gets shorter and the waiting costs money. In Should you accept the first interested party for your sublease? we work through a concrete example.
Experiences from our own assignments
When the advisory firm Alliant outgrew its offices in Skippergata in central Oslo, a new tenant was in place after 35 days.
Read the full story: How Alliant sublet its offices in 35 days
Codex Advokat chose to sublet part of its premises at Akersgata 51 to the trade union Samfunnsøkonomene, rather than pay for space it was not using. For Codex, it was as much a sustainability decision as a financial one.
Subletting in a market with higher vacancy
Subletting has become a bigger topic in recent years. DNB Næringsmegling measured office vacancy in Oslo, Asker and Bærum at 8.0% in the third quarter of 2026, and Eiendomsspar's OsloStudiet 2026 shows that vacant space grew by 103,000 m² during 2025. Sublet space is included in these figures.
If you are subletting, this means your premises compete with landlords' own vacant space. That calls for realistic pricing and a strong presentation. In our analysis, we take a closer look at how much unused space actually exists, and why interest rates are leading more companies to sublet rather than move.
Read the full analysis: The hidden vacancy
Considering taking on a sublease?
Subletting can also be a good option if you are looking for premises. Sublet offices are often let furnished and as they are, on better terms than a standard lease, and the commitment is shorter because it is limited by the head lease. You avoid the investment in fit-out and can often move in quickly.
Be aware, though, that you will not have your own agreement with the landlord. The term cannot extend beyond the head lease, and you have no right to renew beyond it. Also check that the landlord has given written consent before you sign. You will find subleases among the available office spaces on Spacefinder, and our advisors are happy to help you assess them.
How we can help
At Spacefinder, we help tenants who want to sublet all or part of their premises. You can choose to advertise the space yourselves, or let a commercial broker handle the whole process, from pricing and viewings to dialogue with the landlord and a signed sublease. Read more about how to sublet your premises with Spacefinder, or get in touch for a no-obligation conversation about the space you have to spare.
