Many commercial leases refer to “usable square feet” and “rentable square feet”. The exact square footage of the commercial space being leased is the “usable square feet” versus “rentable square feet” which refers to the exact square footage of the space and also a percentage of the common areas that you might share with other companies in a business park. Rentable square feet is calculated by taking the actual usable square footage and adding a percentage of the common areas.
It is always best to confirm the amount of actual usable square footage with the landlord versus “rentable square footage”. There is a standard in place for the accurate measurement of commercial property – BOMA, which is short for the Building Owners and Managers Association.
