Rent per square foot is the language commercial spaces are quoted in, and this free calculator converts between the numbers so you can actually compare them. Enter what you know and get rent per foot, annual, or monthly.
Landlords quote per foot, tenants think in monthly checks, and the two rarely match up in your head. This tool bridges them so you can line up different spaces fairly. Here is the tool, then how to use it.
Rent per square foot, in one line: it is the annual rent divided by the square footage, the standard way commercial space is quoted and compared.
Convert quickly: annual rent equals rate per foot times square feet. Divide by twelve for monthly. Always confirm whether the quote includes NNN expenses.
How to Use Rent Per Square Foot
Enter any two of the three (rate per foot, square footage, or total rent) and the calculator gives you the rest, including the monthly figure. It is the fastest way to turn a listing quote into what you will actually write a check for.
The one thing to nail down every time is whether the quoted rate includes the NNN expenses or not, because that can swing your real cost by several dollars a foot. Once you have a clean per-foot number, you can compare it against the price per square foot to see whether a building's rent justifies its price. I simplify the whole per-foot system here.
Watch: How to Calculate Commercial Rent [Price Per Square Foot Simplified]
Rent Per Square Foot FAQ
How do you calculate rent per square foot?
Divide the annual rent by the square footage. A space renting for $40,000 a year at 2,000 square feet is $20 per square foot.
How do I convert rent per square foot to monthly?
Multiply the rate per foot by the square footage to get the annual rent, then divide by twelve. At $20 per foot on 2,000 square feet, that is $40,000 a year, or about $3,333 a month.
Does rent per square foot include NNN?
It depends on the quote. Some rates are gross and include expenses, while others are base rates that add NNN expenses on top. Always confirm which you are looking at.
Why is rent quoted per square foot?
Because it normalizes spaces of different sizes so tenants and landlords can compare them on an even basis, the same way price per square foot works for buying.
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Explore CRE CentralCompare rent against price with the price per square foot calculator, or see all the commercial calculators.