According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word prorated means “divided, distributed, or assessed proportionately (as to reflect an amount of time that is less than the full amount included in an initial arrangement).” Prorated rent is the amount of money that you will get back from your apartment complex if you move out before the end of your last paid month.

 To get your prorated rent amount, you divide your total rent amount by the number of days in the month. Prorated rent can be owed by you or by the apartment complex depending on the circumstances.   

In the US, not all landlords are required to prorate your rent, some may make you pay the full month of rent even if you move out prior to the end of that month. The apartments that choose to prorate typically to do it so that they can get a new resident as soon as possible. Each state has different laws, so if you don’t know you can ask your apartment leasing office.

A Few Reasons for Prorated Rent:

• Apartment rent is due on the first of the month and you moved in on a date other than the first of the month.
• If an apartment requires first and last month of rent before signing the lease, they prorate on the second month.
• If you can’t move out at the end of your lease term and need extra days during the following month.
• If you sublease an apartment, you could get prorated for the beginning of the end of the sublease.
• Prorated rent could also be owed by you if you don’t get a full 30-day-notice to your apartment when moving out.

How is Prorated Rent Calculated?

A common method apartment complexes use to prorate rent is by taking the monthly rent and dividing it by the number of days in the month. Then take that amount and multiplying by the day you are in the apartment. For example, if your rent is $1,200 a month and you move out on the 25^th of the month instead of the 30^th, you would calculate like this:

1200 monthly rent/30 days in the month = $40 per day

40 per day x 25 days in the apartment = $1,000

Another common method is to base your prorated rent on the number of months in the year. So, they take your monthly rent and multiply it by 12, then take that amount and divide by 365 (days in the year). The final prorated rent is derived by multiplying that current amount by the number of days you are paying for. For a better example, with your rent still being $1,200:

$1,200 monthly rent x 12 months of the year = $14,400

$14,400 / 365 days in the year = $39.45

$39.45 x 25 days in the apartment = $986.30

Your rent for that last month would be $986.30

Some apartment base their prorated rent off the “banker’s month,” which means every month will be counted to be 30 days. By using this method is can cause the amount to vary slightly. Every apartment complex has its way of calculating prorated rent, so feel free to ask your apartment office how they calculate this figure and if you have further questions. Each apartment can calculate a different way, but they are not legally bound to use consistent methods with their calculations.

HOW TO ASK FOR PRORATED RENT

If you are looking for a place to rent and you want to move in after the first of the month, talk to the landlord (or apartment leasing office staff) and politely ask if they would consider prorating the rent. While the landlord doesn’t have to agree to prorate the rent, they might be willing to work with you since they don’t want the unit sitting empty. If the landlord agrees to prorate the rent, get it in writing – preferably as a clause in the lease agreement.

If you are currently renting and think you might need prorated rent at the end of your lease term, review your lease agreement to see if there’s a prorated rent clause. If there isn’t, discuss it with your landlord and see if you can amend your current lease agreement. Or if you are about to move into an apartment, you can ask about their prorated rent.

Prorated rent is an important factor in your rental agreement and financial budget, so understanding the factors of utilizing this tool are helpful when renting or vacating your apartment home.

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