Major Vertical Penetrations (MVPs)
Defining and measuring major vertical penetrations — elevator shafts, stairwells, mechanical shafts, and other floor openings — and their impact on usable and rentable area calculations.
Methodology
Major vertical penetrations are openings in a floor that serve more than one floor of the building — elevator shafts, stairwells, mechanical/electrical shafts, and multi-story atria. MVPs are deducted from gross area on every floor they penetrate. They are not included in any tenant's usable area, floor common area, or building common area. The effect is that MVPs reduce the total building rentable area, increasing the cost per SF for all tenants.
BOMA 2017 vs 2024
BOMA 2024 refines the definition of major vertical penetrations by adding a minimum size threshold and addressing multi-story atria more explicitly. The 2017 standard included all vertical penetrations regardless of size. The 2024 update establishes that very small penetrations (below a defined threshold) may be included in floor area to simplify measurement, while large atria require special treatment.
Worked Example
A 25-story building has a typical floor of 22,000 SF gross. MVPs on each floor total 2,000 SF (4 elevator shafts at 200 SF each, 2 stairwells at 300 SF each, mechanical/electrical shafts at 200 SF). Floor area available for allocation = 22,000 - 2,000 = 20,000 SF per floor. Over 25 floors, MVPs remove 50,000 SF from the building's total area.
Financial Impact
MVPs typically account for 8-12% of a building's gross area. Incorrect MVP measurement directly affects the building's total rentable area and every tenant's load factor. A 500 SF MVP measurement error in a 200,000 SF building changes every tenant's rentable area and annual rent.
Lease Implications
Leases rarely address MVPs directly, but they affect tenants indirectly through the building's load factor and total rentable area. Tenants with remeasurement rights should verify MVP calculations, particularly in older buildings where shaft sizes may have been modified over time.
Common Errors
- Including elevator lobbies as MVPs (lobbies are floor common area, not penetrations)
- Failing to deduct MVPs on floors where they are enclosed within a tenant's suite
- Inconsistent treatment of escalator openings vs. elevator shafts
- Not adjusting MVP measurements after elevator modernization changes shaft sizes
Additional Context
Major vertical penetrations are the most objective BOMA measurement — they are physical openings that can be measured precisely. Despite this, MVP disputes arise when buildings are renovated (elevator modernization, new mechanical shafts) or when atria are added or modified.
Related Resources
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