Commercial

Rent Free Impact

Calculate the effective rent after a rent-free period or other incentive.

Intermediate

Introduction

Who this is for: Landlords, tenants and investors assessing the real value of a lease with incentives.

Why it matters: Headline rent is a negotiating fiction when incentives are involved. A £100,000 rent with 12 months free on a 5-year term is really £80,000. Valuers and buyers look through to the effective rent.

Typical scenario: A 10-year lease with a break at year 5, headline rent £100,000, with 12 months rent-free and a £50,000 fit-out contribution.

Common mistakes:
  • Valuing an asset on headline rent when a long rent-free period has been given.
  • Forgetting that a fit-out contribution is economically the same as more rent-free.
  • Amortising over the full term when there is a break — spread it to the break instead.

Inputs

Lease Terms

£

years

Incentives

months

£

months

Analysis

A headline rent of £100,000 with 12 months rent-free and a £50,000 contribution, spread over 5 years, gives an effective rent of £70,000 — 30.0% below headline.

This analysis provides context, not financial advice. Consult a qualified adviser before making investment decisions.

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Sensitivity Analysis

Sensitivity

Adjust the variables below to stress-test this scenario. Results update instantly.

£100,000
£0£200,000
12
060

Export

Live Results

Effective Rent

£70,000

Discount to Headline

30.00%

Total Incentive Value

£150,000

Total Rent Over Term

£350,000

Incentives represent a 30% discount to headline rent. That is a soft-market signal — value the asset on effective rent, not headline.
Rent-Free Value£100,000
Effective Monthly Rent£5,833