Rent concessions

Free months or reduced rent used to fill vacant units, especially in a soft market. Effective rent runs lower than the sticker rent whenever concessions are in play.

Investment terms · Updated September 2026

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Part 1 of 4

Why a seller cares

A free month or a reduced rent to fill a unit lowers the real income below the rent on the lease, and a buyer of your rental will find it. Concessions on the rent roll are the first question in a soft market.

Part 2 of 4

A simple example

Your rent roll shows $1,200 a unit, but two tenants got a free first month. Effective rent on those units is $1,100.

Rent concessions: a simple example
What the lease saysWhat the buyer underwrites
$1,200 a month with a free month$1,100 effective
$1,200 with no concessions$1,200
Concessions not disclosedFound in the T-12, and a trust problem after

Effective rent is the lease rent minus the deal that got the tenant in.

Part 3 of 4

What people get wrong

That a signed lease at $1,200 is $1,200 of income. Only if nothing was given to sign it.

Part 4 of 4 · where to read next

Where it appears in the sale

What a definition is, and what it isn't

Keighbor is a software company, not a law firm, brokerage, or tax adviser. This is general information, not legal, tax, financial, or real estate advice about your sale. Your situation may differ. Before acting on a contract, disclosure, title, tax, or pricing question, ask an appropriately licensed professional in your state.

Written and researched by Keighbor Research · drawn from the reference glossary · how we research and check what we publish

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