MOVE-IN AND MOVE-OUT
How to calculate prorated rent
Prorated rent = daily rate × days occupied. The most common daily rate is the monthly rent divided by the days in that month. Example: $1,500 rent, moving in September 21 — $1,500 ÷ 30 = $50 a day × 10 days = $500.
When a tenant moves in or out partway through a month, prorated rent is the fair share of that month's rent. The math is simple — the only real decision is which method you use, and writing it down.
The formula
Prorated rent = daily rate × days occupied
Count both the move-in day and the last day of the month (or, on move-out, the 1st through the last day the tenant has the keys).
The three standard methods
1. Days in this month (most common)
Daily rate = monthly rent ÷ number of days in that month.
Worked example
$1,500 rent, move-in September 21. September has 30 days: $1,500 ÷ 30 = $50 a day. The tenant has the home September 21–30, which is 10 days. Prorated rent: $500.
2. Days in the year
Daily rate = (monthly rent × 12) ÷ 365 (366 in a leap year). The daily rate is the same in every month.
Same move-in, yearly method
$1,500 × 12 = $18,000 ÷ 365 = $49.32 a day × 10 days = $493.15.
3. 30-day month (banker's month)
Daily rate = monthly rent ÷ 30, every month. Easy mental math; a little higher than the actual-days method in 31-day months and lower in February.
Move-out example, in a leap year
$1,450 rent; the tenant moves out February 14, 2028. February 2028 has 29 days, so the actual-days rate is $1,450 ÷ 29 = $50 a day × 14 days = $700. With the yearly method (366 days in 2028), it's $47.54 a day, or $665.57.
Common variations
- Full first month, prorate the second: some landlords collect a full month at signing and prorate the next month, so rent lands on the 1st afterward.
- Rent due on the move-in date each month: no proration at all — rent is due on the 21st every month. Simple, but harder to track across several tenants.
Put it in the lease
Whichever method you choose, write it into the lease and use it every time. The difference between methods is usually a few dollars, but an unexplained few dollars is exactly what sours a new tenancy.
Skip the arithmetic with the prorated rent calculator — it shows all three methods side by side, handles leap years, and shows the formula.
Common questions
How do you calculate prorated rent for a move-in?
Divide the monthly rent by the number of days in the month to get a daily rate, then multiply by the days from the move-in date through the end of the month, counting the move-in day.
Is prorated rent required by law?
Not generally. Prorating is a matter of the lease. Many landlords prorate the first month so rent is due on the 1st going forward; others charge a full first month. Write your approach into the lease.
Do you prorate rent by 30 days or the actual days in the month?
Either can be used if the lease says so. The actual days in the month is the most common and easiest to explain; a 30-day month is simpler arithmetic.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Where we state a law, we link the statute and re-check it on a schedule; your city or county can add rules of its own.