What is Common Area Factor?
The percentage of a building's total area dedicated to shared spaces such as lobbies, corridors, restrooms, and mechanical rooms.
Definition
The common area factor is the percentage of a building's total area dedicated to shared spaces — lobbies, corridors, restrooms, mechanical rooms, and loading areas. It determines how much common area cost is allocated to each tenant's pro-rata share and directly influences the building's load factor. A higher common area factor means tenants effectively pay for more shared space relative to their exclusive-use area. The common area factor varies significantly by property type and building design: modern Class A office buildings with extensive amenity areas have higher factors than single-story industrial properties. BOMA 2024 standards define how common area is measured and how it is allocated across different floor levels.
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