Real estate & rental
Rental Rent Proration Calculator
Prorates rent for a partial month, where the method has to be stated in the lease.
Result
Tenancy rules are set by state and often by city, and they are among the most locally variable areas of law there is. Deposit limits, notice periods, late fee caps, interest on deposits and rent increase restrictions all differ and change. This is arithmetic, not legal advice; check your own jurisdiction before relying on any of it. The three methods differ by a few dollars, which matters less than being consistent and having the method written into the lease. Some jurisdictions specify which must be used.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Monthly rent divided by the number of days, times the days occupied. The daily rate can be calculated on the actual days in that month or on a standard thirty-day month, and the two produce different answers, which is why the lease should state which applies rather than leaving it to be argued about at move-in.
What moves the number
- Monthly rent and days occupied.
- Whether the divisor is actual days or a standard month.
- Whether move-in and move-out days are both counted.
- What the lease says, which governs.
Where this one goes wrong
Using actual days means a February prorated day costs more than a July one for the same monthly rent, which is correct arithmetic and occasionally surprising. A standard thirty-day divisor is simpler and slightly favours one party depending on the month. Either is defensible and only one can apply, so state it in the lease. Some jurisdictions also regulate proration practice, so the local rule is worth knowing where there is any doubt.
Before you quote
- State the proration method in the lease.
- Be consistent between move-in and move-out.
- Check whether local rules prescribe a method.
Questions
About this calculator
Should proration use actual days or a thirty-day month?
Either is defensible and the lease should say which. Actual days means a prorated day in February costs more than one in July for the same rent, which is correct and occasionally surprising; a standard divisor is simpler.
Is the move-out day charged?
It depends on the lease, and consistency between move-in and move-out is what keeps it fair. Charging for both the arrival and departure day across two tenancies collects for the same day twice, which is the error worth avoiding.
Can a landlord refuse to prorate?
Practice and local rules vary, and in some jurisdictions proration is regulated. Where it is not, it is a lease term like any other, which is exactly why writing the method into the lease prevents the argument at move-in.
The formula
actual: rent / days in month x days occupied; 30 day: rent / 30 x days; annual: rent x 12 / 365 x days
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How to use this calculator
- Monthly rent ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $2,400.
- Days occupied. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 18.
- Days in that month. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 30.
- Proration method. Enter your own figure; the page starts at Actual days in the month.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to prorated rent, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Monthly rent | $2,400 |
| Days occupied | 18 |
| Days in that month | 30 |
| Proration method | Actual days in the month |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Prorated rent main result | $1,440.00 |
| Daily rate used | $80.00 |
| Actual days method | $1,440.00 |
| 30 day method | $1,440.00 |
| Annual method | $1,420.27 |
Prorated rent is $1,440.00 at $80.00 a day. The three methods give $1,440.00, $1,440.00 and $1,420.27, so the lease should say which one applies.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only monthly rent, this is what happens to prorated rent. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Monthly rent ($) | Prorated rent |
|---|---|
| $1,200 | $720.00 |
| $1,800 | $1,080.00 |
| $2,400 example above | $1,440.00 |
| $3,600 | $2,160.00 |
| $4,800 | $2,880.00 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Monthly rent ($)
- A money amount, starting at $2,400.
- Days occupied
- A number, between 1 and 31, starting at 18.
- Days in that month
- A number, between 28 and 31, starting at 30.
- Proration method
- Choose from Actual days in the month, 30 day month (banker's), Annual, rent x 12 / 365.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Prorated rent | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Daily rate used | A money figure. |
| Actual days method | A money figure. |
| 30 day method | A money figure. |
| Annual method | A money figure. |
What is not in this number
Property figures here exclude the costs that decide whether a deal works: vacancy, maintenance, management, capital expenditure and the transaction costs at both ends. A return that looks strong before those frequently does not survive them.
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