How is prorated rent calculated?

Divide the monthly rent by the number of days in that month to get a daily rate, then multiply by the days you occupy. Rent of $1,500 for September 10-30 (21 days) is $1,500/30 x 21 = $1,050.00. Some leases use a fixed 30-day month instead — this calculator shows both.

Which months make prorated rent different by method?

The 31-day months, and February. In July, a $1,500 rent with 22 days occupied is $1,064.52 by actual days but $1,100.00 by the 30-day method — a real $35 difference on one month, which is why the lease wording matters.

Do you count the move-in day itself?

Almost always yes — the day you take possession is a day of occupancy. This calculator counts move-in day through month-end inclusive, and for move-outs counts through the last day you occupy. Match your lease language if it says otherwise.

Is prorated rent legal everywhere?

Prorating for a partial first or last month is standard practice and legal in most places, but the method (actual days vs 30-day) and grace rules can be set by lease terms and local landlord-tenant law. Use this tool for the arithmetic, check your lease for the method.

Prorated Rent Calculator

Moving in mid-month? Get the partial-month rent to the cent, under both common billing methods, plus the daily rate behind it.

The short answer

Formula. Prorated rent = monthly rent ÷ days in that month × days occupied (the move-in day counts as occupied).

Example. Moving in on the 10th of a 30-day month at $1,500/month: $1,500 ÷ 30 × 21 days = $1,050.00.

Monthly rent ($)

Days in the month

What happened

Move-in day of the month

Occupied from this day through month end.

Billing method

How this calculator works

Prorated rent is a daily-rate question wearing a calendar costume. The monthly rent divided by the number of days in that month gives the daily rate; multiply by the days you actually occupy and that is the prorated amount. $1,500 rent in September (30 days) is $50.00 a day, so a tenant moving in on the 10th — occupying the 10th through the 30th, 21 days — owes $1,050.00 for the partial month. Move-ins almost always count the day possession transfers: you have the keys, you are paying for the day.

The wrinkle worth knowing before you argue with a landlord: there are two legitimate methods, and they disagree exactly when the month is not 30 days. The actual-days method divides by the real month length (31, 30, 29 or 28); the fixed 30-day method ("banker's month") divides by 30 always. In a 31-day July at $1,500, the actual-days daily rate is $48.39 while the 30-day rate is $50.00 — on 22 occupied days that is $1,064.52 versus $1,100.00. Neither is shady; which one applies is set by the lease, and in some jurisdictions by local landlord-tenant rules. The calculator shows the method you pick and does it to the cent.

Two edge cases the calendar throws at people. February: a lease that starts March 1 makes February's proration a non-issue, but a move-out on March 1 with last-day-occupied February 28 bills 28 days (29 in leap years — the calculator has that option). And move-outs: most tenants pay through the day before they hand back keys or through their last occupied day, depending on lease wording — the "last day occupied" mode exists so you can match your lease's language rather than an assumption. If your lease is silent, the actual-days method is the most common default in North American residential leases.

Sources & review date

Two legitimate methods exist — actual days in the month vs the fixed 30-day "banker's month"; your lease wording decides which applies, and the calculator does both.

Last reviewed: October 2026. Numbers that drift (fees, prices, densities) are editable inputs on this page.

Prorated rent FAQs

Do I pay a full month if I move in on the 1st?

Yes — proration only kicks in for partial months. A move-in on the 1st bills the full month, and that becomes your regular billing anchor going forward.

Is prorated rent rounded up by landlords?

It should be to the cent, not to the dollar. If a quote lands on $1,064.516..., the honest number is $1,064.52 — this calculator rounds half-cents up on the final figure only, never on the daily rate it multiplies.

Can landlords charge a full month and refund later?

Some collect first and last month plus a deposit at signing, then credit the proration — legal in many places, annoying everywhere. Ask for the prorated number in writing before signing, and this page will verify their arithmetic.

Does prorated rent apply to utilities too?

Where utilities are billed through the lease, the same daily-rate logic usually applies to the fixed portion; metered utilities just bill by usage. Check what your lease actually rolls into "rent" before prorating.

Assumptions this tool makes: the move-in day itself counts as occupied; move-out mode counts through the last day entered; rounding happens once, on the final amount. This is arithmetic, not legal advice — your lease and local landlord-tenant law set the method.