REBNY cont.
USABLE AREA, MULTIPLE TENANT FLOOR:
• First, calculate the usable area as if for a single tenant floor.
• Then deduct corridor areas, including toilets, supply room, etc., but do not deduct the enclosing walls of such corridor.
• Measure the net usable area of each space on the floor by measuring each enclosing wall which is a building exterior wall to the outside surface of the exterior walls, or to the outside surface of the glass as the case may be. Measure demising walls to the center and walls which abut corridors to the corridor side of the finished surface of the corridor wall.
• To determine the usable area on a multiple tenant floor, apportion the corridor area to each space by multiplying the corridor area by a fraction, whose numerator is the net usable area of the space and whose denominator is the total of the net usable areas of all the spaces on the floor, and add the result to the net usable area of the space.
When we look at multiple tenant floors, there are a few more things to take into account. As stated, we calculate the useable area as if it were a single tenant. When measuring between two tenants, we measure to the middle of the wall, which is to say that each tenant is paying for half of the thickness of the wall. Then we measure all shared common areas, such as corridors, restrooms, janitor closets, building storage, etc. and designate it as Floor Common Area. The enclosing walls stay a part of the tenant’s space, meaning the tenant will be paying for the wall of the corridor where the spaces are adjacent. These common areas are to be distributed to each tenant on the floor based on the percentage of the floor they occupy.
For instance, a floor in our 20,000 square foot building has two (2) tenants. We first take out the floor penetrations, which leave us with 18,000 square feet. We then measure all common areas and come up with another 2,000 square feet. This leaves 16,000 square feet of usable tenant space. One tenant has 12,000 square feet and the other has 4,000 square feet. The tenants occupy 75% and 25% respectively. Now take the 2,000 square feet of common areas and appoint to each tenant their portion based on percentage. The tenant with 12,000 square feet will take 1,500 square feet (75% of 2,000) and the 4,000 square foot tenant will add 500 square feet (25% of 2,000) to their space. Add in the building common space and you will have your Total Rentable Area for a multi-tenant floor.
BELOW-GRADE, CELLAR AND SUB-CELLAR SPACE:
To determine the usable area of below grade, cellar and sub-cellar areas, follow the same procedures as are appropriate for single or multiple tenant floors except that the following additional areas should be deducted from usable area:
• Machine rooms and pump rooms and their enclosing walls.
• Electric switchgear rooms and their enclosing walls.
• Telephone equipment rooms and their enclosing walls.
• All space devoted to servicing the operation of the building, i.e., cleaning contractors, storage, building maintenance shop, building engineer’s office, etc.
This section is very clear in what they say, but they do not seem to say enough. Any space below-grade which is used to run any part of the building is to be deducted from the square footage in the same way a floor penetration is deducted. They are not to be used as a Building Common Area. As stated, these rooms can be anything which is essential to the proper running of the building, including all rooms stated above as well as:
- Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) or Battery rooms and their enclosing walls;
- Main Electrical rooms and their enclosing walls;
- Elevator switchgear rooms/ bays and their enclosing walls;
- Building storage and their enclosing walls. NOTE: Any tenant storage shall be allotted to that tenants Useable Square Footage including chain link fence storage units.
What there is no mention of in this section is underground parking garages. Technically, using this pamphlet, we could use all underground parking as Building Common Area and have the tenants pay their portion of using the garage. Even if a tenant does not use the garage, it would still be factored into their rent. Often, a below grade parking level is the same size or larger than the footprint of the building above. This would create enormous Loss Factors for the tenants and should be clarified. The BOMA standard implicitly states that all parking areas are not to be used in any calculation, not even Gross Building Area.