BOMA 2024 Implementation Guide: Adopting the New Standard Across Your Portfolio
Why This Matters Now
BOMA 2024 is not a minor revision. The updated standard introduces changes to how amenity space, outdoor areas, and building support zones are measured and allocated. For a typical 250,000 SF Class A office building, the difference between BOMA 2017 and BOMA 2024 measurements can shift rentable square footage by 2–5% — which flows directly into pro-rata share calculations, CAM allocations, and ultimately tenant billing.
That shift means money. A 3% change in rentable SF on a building with $2.4M in operating expenses moves roughly $72,000 in CAM charges. Get the transition right, and you capture revenue you are entitled to. Get it wrong, and you face tenant disputes, lease audit challenges, and potential restatement of prior-year reconciliations.
This guide walks through the adoption process step by step, with a realistic timeline and the specific decisions you need to make at each stage.
What Changed in BOMA 2024
Key Differences from BOMA 2017
| Category | BOMA 2017 | BOMA 2024 | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amenity space | Measured as building common area | May be allocated differently based on access and benefit | Affects load factor for floors with amenities |
| Outdoor space | Limited inclusion | Expanded treatment of usable outdoor areas | Increases rentable SF for buildings with terraces, patios |
| Building support | Broad category | More granular sub-categories | Provides clearer allocation methodology |
| Mixed-use allocation | Basic framework | Enhanced methodology for mixed-use buildings | Better reflects actual tenant benefit |
| Measurement precision | Standard tolerances | Tighter specifications for laser measurement | May change SF readings on remeasurement |
Financial Impact Assessment
Before starting the adoption process, quantify the impact for each property. This is not optional — you need the numbers before you talk to tenants.
For a typical 200,000 SF office building:
| Metric | BOMA 2017 | BOMA 2024 (estimated) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross building area | 215,000 SF | 215,000 SF | — |
| Rentable SF | 198,500 SF | 203,200 SF | +2.4% |
| Load factor | 1.083 | 1.058 | -2.3% |
| Tenant A pro-rata share (12,000 SF) | 6.045% | 5.906% | -0.14 pts |
| Tenant A annual CAM ($11/SF) | $132,990 | $129,932 | -$3,058 |
Note: the impact varies significantly by building. Properties with large amenity spaces, outdoor areas, or complex shared zones will see larger changes. Straightforward single-use office buildings may see minimal impact.
Phase 1: Assessment and Planning (Months 1–2)
Step 1: Lease Language Audit
Before measuring anything, read your leases. The lease determines whether you can adopt BOMA 2024 without tenant consent.
Three categories of lease language:
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"As amended" language: "Rentable area shall be determined in accordance with BOMA standards, as amended from time to time." — You can adopt BOMA 2024 at remeasurement without consent.
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Specific version reference: "Rentable area shall be determined in accordance with BOMA Z65.1-2017." — You need a lease amendment or must wait until renewal.
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Custom methodology: "Rentable area is as set forth in Exhibit B and shall not be remeasured during the lease term." — The lease prohibits remeasurement entirely. BOMA 2024 adoption happens at lease renewal.
Action item: Review every lease in the portfolio and categorize it. For a 50-tenant building, budget 1–2 hours per lease for this review. A paralegal or lease administrator can handle the initial review, with attorney oversight for ambiguous language.
Step 2: Prioritize Properties
Not every property needs to adopt BOMA 2024 immediately. Prioritize based on:
- Financial impact: Properties where the measurement change materially affects CAM allocation should go first
- Lease timing: Properties with multiple leases expiring in the next 12 months can incorporate BOMA 2024 into renewal negotiations
- Tenant composition: Properties with sophisticated tenants (national chains, REITs, law firms) who will notice the change should be handled carefully
- Planned capital projects: If you are already remeasuring for a renovation, add BOMA 2024 adoption to the scope
Step 3: Budget the Transition
| Cost Category | Per Property | 20-Property Portfolio |
|---|---|---|
| Professional remeasurement | $8,000–$25,000 | $160,000–$500,000 |
| Lease review (attorney) | $2,000–$5,000 | $40,000–$100,000 |
| Tenant notification and communication | $500–$1,500 | $10,000–$30,000 |
| System updates (property management software) | $1,000–$3,000 | $20,000–$60,000 |
| Parallel-run testing | $2,000–$5,000 | $40,000–$100,000 |
| Total | $13,500–$39,500 | $270,000–$790,000 |
For most portfolios, the remeasurement cost is the largest line item. Professional measurement firms using laser scanning technology charge $0.03–$0.10 per SF depending on building complexity. A 250,000 SF building runs $7,500–$25,000.
Phase 2: Remeasurement (Months 2–4)
Selecting a Measurement Firm
Use a BOMA-certified measurement professional. This is not the place to save money. An inaccurate measurement creates disputes that cost far more than the measurement fee.
What to look for:
- BOMA certification for the 2024 standard (not just 2017)
- Laser scanning capability (not tape measure)
- Experience with your property type
- Deliverables that include both BOMA 2017 and BOMA 2024 measurements (you will need the comparison)
Running Dual Measurements
Request both BOMA 2017 and BOMA 2024 measurements for every property. You need the comparison for three reasons:
- Tenant communication: Showing the before-and-after demonstrates transparency
- Financial modeling: Quantifying the dollar impact per tenant before notification
- Dispute defense: If a tenant challenges the new measurement, having the certified comparison is your best evidence
Documenting the Changes
For each property, create a measurement summary that shows:
- Total building area (unchanged)
- Rentable area under BOMA 2017 vs. BOMA 2024
- Each tenant's pro-rata share under both standards
- The dollar impact on each tenant's annual CAM charge
- The specific BOMA 2024 provisions that caused each change
This document becomes the basis for tenant notification letters.
Phase 3: Tenant Notification and Lease Amendments (Months 4–7)
Notification Strategy
Tenants do not like surprises, especially surprises that change their rent. The notification process matters as much as the measurement itself.
For tenants with "as amended" lease language:
Send a formal notification letter at least 90 days before the new measurement takes effect. Include:
- The reason for remeasurement (adoption of updated industry standard)
- The certified measurement comparison (old vs. new)
- The dollar impact on the tenant's CAM charges
- The effective date
- Contact information for questions
Example dollar impact communication:
"Under the current BOMA 2017 measurement, your suite measures 8,450 rentable square feet, representing a 4.26% pro-rata share of building operating expenses. Under the updated BOMA 2024 standard, the same physical space measures 8,620 rentable square feet, representing a 4.24% pro-rata share. Based on current operating expenses of $11.25 per rentable square foot, your annual CAM charge would decrease by approximately $670."
Note the example above shows a decrease. BOMA 2024 can go either direction — some tenants pay more, some pay less. Lead with transparency regardless of the direction.
For tenants requiring lease amendments:
Prepare a lease amendment that updates the measurement standard, the rentable SF, and the pro-rata share. Coordinate with your leasing team to incorporate the amendment into upcoming lease events (renewals, expansions, options).
Handling Pushback
Expect some tenants — particularly those whose charges increase — to push back. Common objections and responses:
| Tenant Objection | Response |
|---|---|
| "My space hasn't changed, why is my SF different?" | "The measurement methodology updated to reflect current industry standards. Your physical space is identical. The way common areas are allocated changed." |
| "I want an independent remeasurement." | "The measurement was performed by a BOMA-certified professional. We are happy to share the full report. Your lease audit rights allow you to verify at your expense." |
| "My lease says BOMA 2017." | "You are correct. We will continue using BOMA 2017 for your suite until lease renewal, when we can discuss updating to the current standard." |
Phase 4: System Updates (Months 5–8)
Property Management Software
Your property management system (Yardi, MRI, RealPage) stores the rentable SF that drives CAM calculations. Updating these figures requires careful sequencing.
Update checklist:
- Enter new BOMA 2024 SF for each tenant suite
- Update the building total rentable area
- Recalculate pro-rata share percentages
- Verify the sum of all pro-rata shares equals 100% (or the correct total for partially occupied buildings)
- Update base year figures if applicable
- Confirm gross-up denominator reflects the new measurement
- Run a test reconciliation for the prior year using new SF to quantify the difference
Parallel Run Testing
Before going live with BOMA 2024 measurements, run a parallel calculation:
- Calculate the current year's CAM charges using BOMA 2017 measurements
- Calculate the same year's charges using BOMA 2024 measurements
- Compare tenant by tenant
- Investigate any tenant whose charge changes by more than 5%
- Confirm the total building recovery is consistent
This parallel run catches configuration errors before they reach tenant statements. Budget 2–4 weeks for a single property, longer for complex multi-use buildings.
Phase 5: Go-Live and Monitoring (Months 8–12)
First Reconciliation Under BOMA 2024
The first reconciliation statement using the new measurements should include a brief explanation — either in the cover letter or as a statement addendum — noting the measurement standard change.
This is not legally required in most states, but it dramatically reduces dispute volume. A tenant who sees a CAM increase without explanation will call. A tenant who sees the same increase with a clear explanation of the measurement change will likely file and move on.
Monitoring for Issues
Track these metrics for the first 12 months after adoption:
- Dispute rate by property: Any property with dispute rates above 15% post-adoption needs immediate attention
- Pro-rata share accuracy: Verify that shares sum correctly after the SF change
- Recovery ratio: Confirm that total building recovery did not change materially (the pie is being divided differently, but the total should be similar)
- Tenant audit requests: An uptick in audit requests post-adoption is normal — prepare backup documentation proactively
Common Mistakes to Avoid
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Adopting BOMA 2024 mid-year. Always align the measurement change with the start of a calendar year (or lease year). Mid-year changes require prorated calculations that are error-prone and dispute-magnets.
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Applying BOMA 2024 to leases that reference a specific version. This creates a lease breach. Check every lease.
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Not running parallel calculations. The first reconciliation under new measurements must be verified against the old methodology. Skipping this step means discovering errors when tenants receive their statements.
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Failing to update the gross-up denominator. If your building's total rentable SF changed, the gross-up calculation denominator must change too. This is the most commonly missed update and can shift thousands of dollars in allocation.
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Communicating the change only through the reconciliation statement. By the time tenants see the statement, they should already know about the measurement change. Surprise is the primary driver of disputes.
Related Resources
- Pro-Rata Share Calculation — How SF changes affect tenant allocation
- Denominator Change Guide — Managing the gross-up impact
- CAM Reconciliation vs. Estimate — First-year estimate adjustments after remeasurement
- Transparent CAM Billing — Communication strategies that reduce disputes