Square Feet Terminology
12 inches doesn’t mean 12 inches.
Landlords know the value of a foot.
When looking at “square feet” be sure you know what square feet number you are looking at.
The term “square feet” can mean a number of things and people can have a common understanding of the word, but landlords know the nuance. Here are some different ways a building may calculate square foot or the rate that they apply to it.
Usable Square Feet
This is the tenant’s square feet, this is where you can place your foot and no one else can.
Carpetable Square Feet
This is the usable work area. It is your workplace and in many ways your most important number if you need to calculate the number of employees. It does not include restrooms, hallways or any support space.
Rentable Square feet
This is the number that any given tenant should look into. This deceptive number can include common areas or even the interior of a wall. Some should feel reasonable, some should not - but all of it can be common practice.
