The actual floor area exclusively occupied by a tenant, measured wall to wall within the demised premises. Usable square footage excludes shared building spaces and is always smaller than the rentable square footage figure used for billing.
Usable square footage (USF) is defined under BOMA standards as the area within the tenant boundary, including internal columns and projections. It excludes building common areas, floor common areas, and vertical penetrations. USF multiplied by the load factor produces the rentable square footage used for rent and expense calculations.
A landlord includes a shared electrical closet on the floor in a tenant's usable square footage measurement, adding 120 SF that should only appear in the common area calculation. This inflates both rent and the tenant's proportionate share of CAM.
Walk your space with a tape measure or hire a certified space planner to verify USF. Compare the result against what your lease states. Even small discrepancies compound over years of rent and CAM payments.
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Find My OverchargesThis page provides general educational information. It is not legal advice and may not reflect the most current law in your state. Consult a licensed attorney for advice specific to your situation.
