---
title: "How to prorate rent (with a calculator and examples)"
description: "Prorate rent with calendar days, a $1,850 March move-in worked to the cent, and the ledger lines that keep the balance right."
url: https://tivio.io/blog/how-to-prorate-rent-with-a-calculator-and-examples
author: "Tivio Team"
publisher: Tivio (https://tivio.io)
published: 2026-10-26
updated: 2026-10-26
topic: "Rent & payments"
---

# How to prorate rent (with a calculator and examples)

> To prorate rent, multiply the monthly rent by the days of possession, divide by the calendar days in that month, and round once to the nearest cent. Count the first day and the last day. Keys on March 12, 2026, with rent of $1,850, means 20 days and a charge of $1,193.55. Prorate monthly parking and pet rent on their own lines, and start full rent on the next 1st. Minnesota requires this method for a final month that ends before the month's last day.

## Key takeaways

- Prorate with monthly rent times days of possession, divided by the calendar days in that month, and round once to the nearest cent.
- Count the start day and the end day. March 12 through March 31, 2026 is 20 days.
- Prorate parking and pet rent on their own lines, collect the full security deposit, and post only one rent charge for that month.
- Post the partial charges on the possession date and start full rent on the next 1st. Apply payments to the oldest charge first.
- In Minnesota, final-month proration is required and cannot be waived when the lease ends before the last day of that month.

You prorate rent when possession starts or ends off the edge of a full rent month. Prorated rent equals that month's rent, times the days the tenant has the unit, divided by the calendar days in the month. Count the day you hand over the keys and the day you take them back. Round once, at the end, to the nearest cent.

Keys on the 1st, held through the last day, is one full charge. Any other start or end is a partial charge, and that partial charge is the only rent you post for the month.

## What is prorated rent?

Prorated rent is the charge for a partial month of possession. You use it at move-in, when the lease starts after the 1st, and at move-out, when the lease ends before the last day.

The daily rate only splits the monthly rent the lease already sets. Keep the monthly figure as the source number. A rounded daily rate, multiplied back across a whole month, will miss that monthly rent.

## Which method should you use to prorate rent?

Use the calendar-day method unless a statute, or the signed lease, already names another one.

**Prorated amount = monthly charge × days of possession ÷ days in that calendar month.**

Round each charge to the nearest cent at the end. Leave the division unrounded until then.

Three methods produce three bills. This table is $1,850 monthly rent and 20 days in March 2026, a 31-day month.

| Method | Formula | Amount |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Calendar days | 1,850 × 20 ÷ 31 | $1,193.55 |
| 30-day month | 1,850 × 20 ÷ 30 | $1,233.33 |
| Annual daily rate | 1,850 × 12 ÷ 365 × 20 | $1,216.44 |

The 30-day method is $39.78 higher here. The gap flips in February. February 2026 has 28 days. Thirteen days (February 16 through February 28) is 1,850 × 13 ÷ 28 = $858.93 by calendar days, and 1,850 × 13 ÷ 30 = $801.67 by a 30-day month. That is $57.26 the other way.

Use the same method at move-in and move-out, and name it in the lease. 2026 is not a leap year, so an annual rate uses 365. February 2028 has 29 days. Calendar days simply use the month you are billing.

Rounding the daily rate to the cent before you multiply will drift. Here, $1,850 ÷ 31 is about $59.6774. At $59.68 × 20 days the charge is $1,193.60. Unrounded, then rounded once, it is $1,193.55.

State-aided housing projects in New York follow the same shape of math. [9 NYCRR § 1642-4.2](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/new-york/9-NYCRR-1642-4.2) tells those agencies to divide monthly rent by the days in the month, carry the daily rate to five decimal places, and multiply by the days in the partial period. The regulation covers those projects. The five-decimal habit is worth copying on a market-rate lease. Bill the possession date in the lease.

## How many days do you count?

Count every calendar day the tenant may possess the unit, including the start date and the end date.

March 12 through March 31, 2026 is 20 days: 31 − 12 + 1. Dropping the "+ 1" costs a day of rent, $59.68 on this lease (1,850 × 1 ÷ 31, rounded to the cent). March 1 through March 12 is 12 days. The 12th counts.

A term that starts on the 1st, or ends on the last day of the month, is a full month. Bill the monthly amount. Cap any partial charge at one full month. A bad day count plus a 30-day divisor can print a few cents over the monthly rent. If it does, bill the monthly rent.

Match the lease date to the key handoff. Keys on the 12th and a lease that starts rent on the 15th leave three days unaccounted for. Fix that in writing before anyone pays.

![Metal house keys lying on a wooden table.](https://tivio.io/blog/media/2026/10/metal-house-keys-lying-on-a-wooden-table-4fq3p6.webp "Possession usually starts when you hand over the keys, and that day counts in the proration.")

*Photo: Martin Vorel, [LibreShot](https://libreshot.com/bunch-of-keys-on-the-wooden-table/), CC0 1.0 Public Domain.*

## How do you calculate a mid-month move-in?

Use this as the calculator. Base rent is $1,850. Parking is $75. Pet rent is $40. Keys change hands on March 12, 2026. The lease uses calendar days and both endpoints. Full charges begin April 1, 2026.

1. March 2026 has 31 days.
2. March 12 through March 31 is 20 days.
3. Prorate each monthly charge on its own line. Multiply, divide, then round that line.
4. Add the rounded lines. Collect that sum before you release keys.
5. Start the full charges on April 1. Post no other rent for March.

| Charge | Monthly amount | Calculation | Due March 12 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rent | $1,850 | 1,850 × 20 ÷ 31 | $1,193.55 |
| Parking | $75 | 75 × 20 ÷ 31 | $48.39 |
| Pet rent | $40 | 40 × 20 ÷ 31 | $25.81 |
| Collected at move-in |  |  | $1,267.75 |

One combined proration of the $1,965 total is 1,965 × 20 ÷ 31 = $1,267.74. Line by line, rounding each charge, the sum is $1,267.75. Collect the sum of the lines you will post. A payment of $1,267.74 leaves a penny open, and a penny is enough to put a paid account on the who-owes report.

Keep the lines split. If the management fee is 8 percent of rent collected, and the agreement leaves out parking and pet rent, March's fee is 8 percent of $1,193.55, which is $95.48. Eight percent of the $1,267.75 collected is $101.42. The extra $5.94 belongs to the owner unless the management agreement puts those charges in the fee base.

Leave the security deposit out of the table. Collect the full deposit the lease requires, inside the local cap. A deposit is held money, not rent for days of occupancy.

You can send this note. Fill in the deposit:

> Your lease starts March 12, 2026. March has 31 days, so the first period is 20 days (March 12 through March 31). Prorated rent is $1,193.55, prorated parking is $48.39, and prorated pet rent is $25.81. Please pay $1,267.75 before you receive keys. Your security deposit of $[amount] is due at the same time. Starting April 1, 2026, rent is $1,850, parking is $75, and pet rent is $40, due on the 1st.

Tie any grace period to March 12, the due date of this charge. Paid that day, the account is current. April's late fee, if the lease has one, waits for April.

## How do you prorate a mid-month move-out?

The tenant paid $1,850 for March on March 1. Possession ends March 12, 2026. The lease prorates the final month by calendar days and includes the move-out day.

March 1 through March 12 is 12 days. Rent earned is 1,850 × 12 ÷ 31 = $716.13. The credit is $1,850.00 − $716.13 = $1,133.87.

Check it from the unused side. March 13 through March 31 is 19 days, and 1,850 × 19 ÷ 31 = $1,133.87. When the two paths disagree, the day count is wrong. Fix it before you send money.

Parking of $75 earns 75 × 12 ÷ 31 = $29.03, so the credit is $45.97. Pet rent of $40 earns 40 × 12 ÷ 31 = $15.48, so the credit is $24.52. Credit those only if they were paid for the full month and the lease ends them with possession.

A mid-month departure creates a refund when the lease or a statute says so.

In Minnesota, read [Minn. Stat. § 504B.116](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/504B.116) before you refuse a final-month credit. Since 2021, when a residential lease ends before the last day of the final month, that month's rent must be prorated on the actual calendar days in the month the lease expires. The tenant pays for the days occupancy is allowed. The rule covers last month's rent paid in advance. A waiver is void. The section speaks to the end of the term, not to move-in. Use calendar days on Minnesota move-ins as well, so the file has one method, and confirm the current text with the Revisor or a Minnesota attorney if the amount is disputed.

In Washington, the Tenants Union of Washington State says no state law requires a mid-month vacancy to be prorated, so the landlord may charge the full month unless you agree in writing. See its [vacating FAQ](https://tenantsunion.org/rights/vacating-faq). Extra days need a signed note with the dates and the rate.

## Which charges do you prorate?

Prorate charges that buy a month of possession or a reserved monthly service.

- Base rent.
- Monthly parking, storage, or pet rent.
- A flat monthly utility fee you bill under the lease. A bill the tenant pays to the utility company stays with the utility.

Leave these at the lease amount.

- The security deposit and any pet deposit, collected in full, inside the local cap.
- Prepaid last month's rent. Apply it to the real final period. If that period is partial and the lease or a statute prorates it, apply the prorated figure and settle the difference.
- A one-time flat administrative fee.
- Late fees. They attach to a missed due date. A prorated move-in paid on its own due date does not earn one.
- Management fees, reserves, and vendor bills. Those sit on the owner side. The fee follows rent earned, at the rate and on the income the management agreement names.

## What lease clause should you use?

Put the formula in the lease. Adapt this:

> If the term begins after the first day of a month, or ends before the last day of a month, rent and the other monthly recurring charges in this lease are prorated. The daily amount equals the monthly charge divided by the calendar days in that month. The amount due equals the daily amount multiplied by the days of possession, including the start date and the end date, rounded to the nearest cent. A prorated charge will not exceed one full month of that charge. The security deposit is not prorated. Move-in and move-out use this same method.

Have a local attorney read it. In Minnesota, a waiver of final-month proration is void under § 504B.116.

British Columbia expects the tenancy agreement to state the rent and the day it is due. The province's [paying-rent page](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies/rent-rtb/paying-rent), updated March 4, 2026, says tenants pay the rent the agreement requires. A late fee has to be in the agreement, and it cannot exceed $25. Print a partial first period as its own dollar amount beside the ongoing monthly rent.

Ontario's [standard lease guide](https://www.ontario.ca/page/guide-ontarios-standard-lease) treats total rent as base rent plus separate charges such as parking. The [Residential Tenancies Act, 2006](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/06r17) defines rent as what the tenant pays to occupy the unit and for the services tied to that occupancy. It does not set a 30-day or 365-day divisor. Write the partial-month amount into the agreement.

## How do you post prorated rent on the ledger?

Date the partial charges on the day they are due. Start full rent on the 1st of the next month.

| Date | Description | Charge | Payment |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Mar 12, 2026 | Prorated rent, Mar 12–31 (20 of 31 days) | $1,193.55 | |
| Mar 12, 2026 | Prorated parking, Mar 12–31 (20 of 31 days) | $48.39 | |
| Mar 12, 2026 | Prorated pet rent, Mar 12–31 (20 of 31 days) | $25.81 | |
| Mar 12, 2026 | Payment, check 4412 | | $1,267.75 |
| Apr 1, 2026 | Rent, April 2026 | $1,850.00 | |

After check 4412, the balance is zero. The description keeps the day count so you can answer the owner without rebuilding the fraction.

Post one March rent figure, the prorated one. A full $1,850 beside the $1,193.55 makes the tenant look a month behind, or it leaves a waiver on the ledger forever.

Apply a short payment to the oldest charge first. If the tenant pays only $1,193.55, rent is clear and parking and pet rent stay open.

[Tivio](https://tivio.io/) is property management software for independent property managers. You record these charges and the payment against them. Payments apply to the oldest charges first, and the tenant gets an email receipt. The March owner statement PDF shows $1,193.55 of rent, with the management fee on the rent you took in. The who-owes report, and a CSV export, should show zero on this lease before April 1 posts.

On move-out, add a credit line. Do not delete the original charge. "Rent credit, Mar 13–31 (19 of 31 days), $1,133.87." Rent earned is $716.13.

Before keys go out, or before a credit goes out:

1. Read the lease and any statute that overrides it.
2. Count both endpoints, and write the count on the charge.
3. Divide by the days in that month, unless the lease names 30 or 365.
4. Round each line once, and collect the sum of the lines.
5. Collect the full deposit, inside the local cap.
6. Post the partial charges only. Start full rent on the next 1st.
7. Set the management fee from the management agreement.
8. Send the tenant the arithmetic, and keep a copy with the lease.

## When does state or provincial law change the math?

The calendar-day formula is the default for a lease you still get to write. The unit's city, state, or province can override it. This is a bookkeeping method, not legal, tax, or financial advice.

- **Minnesota.** A residential lease that ends before the last day of the final month must be prorated on that month's calendar days. A waiver is void. [Minn. Stat. § 504B.116](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/504B.116).
- **New York state-aided projects.** The pro rata schedule uses the real length of the month and five decimal places on the daily rate. [9 NYCRR § 1642-4.2](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/new-york/9-NYCRR-1642-4.2). A market-rate New York lease is a separate question.
- **Washington.** The Tenants Union of Washington State says a mid-month move-out need not be prorated unless you agree in writing. [Vacating FAQ](https://tenantsunion.org/rights/vacating-faq).
- **British Columbia.** Put the partial amount in the tenancy agreement. A contractual late fee cannot exceed $25. [Paying rent](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies/rent-rtb/paying-rent).
- **Ontario.** Record base rent and separate charges in the tenancy agreement. The Act sets no single daily divisor. [Standard lease guide](https://www.ontario.ca/page/guide-ontarios-standard-lease) and the [Residential Tenancies Act, 2006](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/06r17).

Print the calendar-day method in the lease template and post every partial month like the March ledger above. Mixed divisors make owner statements impossible to compare.

Tivio keeps the rent roll, the open balance, and the monthly owner statement on those same charges, and you can export the day-count detail to CSV. Early access is free at [tivio.io](https://tivio.io/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Do I have to prorate the first month's rent?

In most US states, and in Ontario and British Columbia, the lease or tenancy agreement sets the amount due for a partial first month. Prorating it is standard practice. Minnesota Statutes section 504B.116 requires calendar-day proration when a residential lease ends before the last day of the final month, and a waiver is void. Check the law where the unit sits before you bill a full month for a mid-month start.

### Should I divide by 30 or by the days in the month?

Divide by the calendar days in that month unless the signed lease already names 30 or 365. On $1,850 rent for 20 days in March 2026, dividing by 31 bills $1,193.55 and dividing by 30 bills $1,233.33.

### Do I count the move-in day?

Count the move-in day when the tenant receives possession that day. March 12 through March 31, 2026 is 20 days, because the count includes the 12th and the 31st.

### Do I prorate the security deposit?

Collect the full deposit required by the lease, subject to the local cap. Prorate monthly rent and monthly add-ons such as parking or pet rent. A deposit is money you hold for the tenancy.

### How do I credit a tenant who paid a full month and leaves mid-month?

When the lease prorates the final month, subtract the earned days from what they already paid. After a $1,850 March payment and a March 12, 2026 move-out, 12 days are earned ($716.13) and the credit is $1,133.87. Where the lease does not prorate move-out, a refund may not be owed. The Tenants Union of Washington State says a landlord there may charge the full month unless you agreed otherwise in writing.

### What changes in a leap-year February?

February 2026 has 28 days and February 2028 has 29. The calendar-day method uses that month as the divisor. An annual daily rate uses 366 in a leap year and 365 in a common year. 2026 is not a leap year.

## Sources

- [Minn. Stat. § 504B.116, Prorated rent required](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/504B.116), Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes
- [9 NYCRR § 1642-4.2, Pro rata rent schedule](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/new-york/9-NYCRR-1642-4.2), Legal Information Institute
- [Paying rent](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies/rent-rtb/paying-rent), Province of British Columbia
- [Guide to Ontario's standard lease](https://www.ontario.ca/page/guide-ontarios-standard-lease), Government of Ontario
- [Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 17](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/06r17), Government of Ontario
- [Vacating FAQ](https://tenantsunion.org/rights/vacating-faq), Tenants Union of Washington State