Office Furniture, Fixtures & Computer Networking: Landlord’s Responsibility?

Office Furniture, Fixtures & Computer Networking: Landlord’s Responsibility?

Once you have found the right space, negotiated business terms, lease language and had your space constructed; you still need Internet cabling and phone jacks installed before you can get to work. You also need furniture for your staff.

Internet & Computer Wiring

Manhattan Commercial buildings have utility closets on each floor from where telecom providers run wiring to your space. Once you sign a service contract for Internet service, Verizon, Time Warner or whoever your telecom provider will run Internet cabling from the utility closet to your space at no charge.

Once the utility has installed Internet wiring in a space, setting up computer network cabling is up to the tenant.

Businesses who sublease office space in Manhattan often do not have to deal with the installation of a computer network as sublets often already have computer cabling or wireless networks already set up.

If your business opts for a short-term rental in an executive office space, you will not have to deal with installing Internet access as these spaces are delivered wired.

To summarize: when you rent office space in Manhattan, Internet connectivity is delivered into the space by the telecom provider: however tenants are responsible for wiring their new space and installing and configuring the computer networks.

Phone  Systems

Just like Internet wiring, telecom companied are responsible for running phone lines from the utility closet on your floor to your space. Phone companies absorb the cost of running the wiring and deliver the space with phone jacks installed.  All you have to do is plug your phones into the jacks.

Landlords don’t typically provide tenants with telephone systems. The cost of a new phone system depends on its’ technological sophistication. You should speak to your telecom supplier in order to budget this moving cost.

An advantage of acquiring space in an executive office suite or a sublet is that they are often delivered prewired for telecom and Internet services.

Office Furniture

 Usually landlords don’t furnish a space on behalf of a new tenant when a lease is signed. However, sometimes furniture is available from the previous tenant and acquisition of this furniture can be negotiated with the landlord or previous tenant for a modest cost.

Unlike direct space, which is rented directly from landlords, sublet space and executive office suites are usually delivered in furnished condition.