Non-Allocated Tenant Areas in BOMA 2024
Understanding areas within a tenant's demised space that are excluded from usable area calculations under BOMA 2024, including structural columns, shaft enclosures, and building system penetrations.
Methodology
Non-allocated tenant areas are physical elements within a tenant's demised premises that reduce usable area. These include structural columns and their enclosures, building system shafts passing through the suite, and fire stair enclosures. The BOMA standard defines minimum size thresholds — penetrations below a certain size may be included in usable area to simplify measurement.
BOMA 2017 vs 2024
BOMA 2024 provides more explicit guidance on non-allocated areas within tenant spaces. The 2017 standard was ambiguous about column enclosures and small shaft penetrations, leading to inconsistent measurement practices. The 2024 update establishes clearer thresholds for when an element is measured as a penetration vs. included in usable area.
Worked Example
A tenant suite has a gross interior area of 5,000 SF. It contains two structural columns with enclosures totaling 24 SF and one mechanical shaft of 16 SF. Usable area = 5,000 - 24 - 16 = 4,960 SF. However, if the shaft is below the BOMA threshold (varies by standard version), it may be included in usable area, yielding 4,976 SF.
Financial Impact
Non-allocated areas typically represent 1-3% of a tenant's gross interior area. For a 20,000 SF tenant at $50/SF, a 2% difference in usable area affects base rent by $20,000 annually plus proportional CAM impact.
Lease Implications
Leases should specify the BOMA standard version and whether the rentable area stated in the lease is subject to remeasurement. Tenants with measurement verification rights should confirm that non-allocated areas have been properly deducted from usable area before calculating rentable area.
Common Errors
- Including structural columns in usable area (overstates tenant's space)
- Failing to remeasure after building system retrofits that add new shaft penetrations
- Inconsistent treatment of column enclosures vs. freestanding columns
- Not accounting for irregularly shaped column enclosures
Additional Context
Non-allocated tenant areas are often overlooked during initial lease negotiations but become critical during remeasurement disputes or when building systems are upgraded (adding or enlarging shafts).
Related Resources
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