Free tool

Commercial Lease Escalation Calculator

Build a year-by-year commercial rent schedule with annual percentage increases, rentable square feet, and partial lease years.

Rent schedule

Year-by-year escalation schedule

The final row is prorated automatically when the lease includes additional months.

Lease yearMonthsRent / SF / yearAverage monthly rentPeriod base rent
Year 112$24.00$10,000$120,000
Year 212$24.72$10,300$123,600
Year 312$25.46$10,609$127,308
Year 412$26.23$10,927$131,127
Year 512$27.01$11,255$135,061

This schedule models annual percentage escalation on each lease anniversary. Fixed steps, CPI adjustments, free rent, and expense pass-throughs require separate treatment.

How annual escalation compounds

A percentage escalation normally applies to the then-current scheduled rent rather than repeatedly adding the same year-one dollar amount. The tool compounds the entered rate on each lease anniversary.

  • Year n rate equals the starting rate multiplied by one plus the escalation rate raised to n minus one
  • Annual base rent equals the scheduled rate multiplied by rentable area
  • Partial final years include only the entered number of months
  • Fixed-dollar steps and CPI clauses require a different schedule

Read the full rent schedule

Cumulative base rent is more useful than a year-one shortcut when comparing terms, commissions, or occupancy budgets.

  • Keep per-square-foot units consistent
  • Model free rent separately from scheduled rent
  • Check the exact escalation date in the lease
  • Do not substitute this schedule for a lease abstract

Citation facts

  • A compounded escalation schedule applies each annual percentage increase to the prior scheduled rate.
  • Annual base rent equals rentable square feet multiplied by the applicable annual rent per square foot.
  • A partial lease year should be prorated by its applicable months.
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