FREE CALCULATOR
Prorated rent calculator
Pick the date and the monthly rent. You'll see the partial month three standard ways — so you can choose one, put it in the lease, and never argue about it.
How to calculate prorated rent
Prorated rent is the share of a month's rent that covers only the days a tenant actually has the home. The math is two steps: find a daily rate, then multiply it by the days occupied.
- Daily rate. Divide the monthly rent by the number of days used for the month.
- Days occupied. Count from the move-in day through the end of the month (or from the 1st through the move-out day). Count both ends.
- Prorated rent = daily rate × days occupied.
Rent is $1,500. The tenant moves in on September 21. September has 30 days, so the daily rate is $1,500 ÷ 30 = $50. They have the home for 10 days (the 21st through the 30th), so the first month's rent is $50 × 10 = $500.
The three methods, and when they differ
| Method | Daily rate | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Days in this month | Rent ÷ 28, 29, 30, or 31 | The most common; matches what a tenant would work out themselves |
| Days in the year | Rent × 12 ÷ 365 (366 in a leap year) | The same daily rate all year, whatever the month |
| 30-day month | Rent ÷ 30 | Simple mental math; a little higher than actual in 31-day months, lower in February |
The difference is usually a few dollars — but a few dollars is exactly the kind of thing that sours a new tenancy if it isn't agreed up front. Name the method in the lease.
Move-in vs. move-out
Moving in mid-month, the tenant pays for the days from move-in to month-end; full rent starts on the 1st. Moving out mid-month, they pay from the 1st through the last day they have the keys. Some landlords instead charge a full first month and prorate the second — fine, as long as the lease says so.
QUESTIONS
Common questions
How do you calculate prorated rent?
Find a daily rate, then multiply by the days the tenant actually occupies the unit. The daily rate is usually the monthly rent divided by the days in that month, though some leases use the yearly rent divided by 365, or the monthly rent divided by 30.
Which prorating method is fairest?
The days-in-this-month method is the most common and easiest to explain: a tenant moving in for the last 10 days of a 30-day month pays a third of the rent. Whichever you choose, write it into the lease so it's not a debate later.
Does the move-in day count for prorated rent?
Usually yes — if the tenant gets the keys on the 15th, they pay for the 15th. On move-out, the last day they have possession is usually counted too. The calculator counts both days.