UK app lets workers find and rent nearby desk space by the hour

More and more tech companies are talking about the rise in remote working – now a new app lets users find and pay to use nearby desk space.

NearDesk lets workers access desks at more than 200 UK locations and rent space by the hour. The app has been developed so users have an alternative to finding a nearby noisy coffee shop.

Users can tap-in and tap-out of workspaces and pay by the hour, and aren’t tied to one specific location.

Developers say many people use the app to find desk space near their home to avoid the daily commute on at least one day a week. 

The mobile app – available free on Android and iPhone – also tells the worker which facilities the nearby space has (such as printing), as well as a description of the hubs, prices, opening times, pictures and the option to call ahead. Alternatively they can tap in an address or postcode. 

Prices varies depending on location, but start from ‘just a few quid’ per hour. 

Tom Ball, founder and CEO of NearDesk, created the app after looking for a quiet spot to work for a couple of hours before getting back on a train. He found a business centre, and was asked to fill out lengthy form and pay £1,000 for a year’s membership, and it gave him the idea for NearDesk.

Ball said: "I can understand the attraction of coffee shops, but in my experience they can be noisy and don’t always make for the most productive working environments. The NearDesk work hubs offer better facilities, such as Wi-Fi (and coffee), and are better value than being unproductive in a coffee shop. The new app makes it simple to find the nearest one.”