Which proration method should I use?

Use the one your lease specifies. If your lease is silent, pick one, write it into your future leases, and apply it the same way to every tenant. The days-in-the-month method is easy to explain because the daily rate is tied to the actual month. The 365-day method gives the same daily rate all year. The 30-day method is the simplest arithmetic but charges a little more in 31-day months and a little less in February.

Do I count the move-in day?

This calculator counts both the start and end dates as days the tenant owes rent, which is the usual convention when the tenant gets the keys on the move-in date. If your lease says rent starts the day after move-in, enter that date instead.

Should I collect prorated rent at move-in or with the second month?

Both are common. Some landlords collect the prorated amount at signing. Others collect a full first month at move-in and add the prorated amount to the second month's rent, so the tenant has paid more up front. Whichever you choose, put it in the lease and on the move-in statement.

Is a landlord required to prorate rent?

That depends on your lease and on state and local rules, which vary. This calculator does not give legal advice. Check the rules where the property is located and what your lease says before you set a policy.

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Prorated Rent Calculator

Prorated rent is the daily rate times the days the tenant is responsible for (prorated rent = monthly rent ÷ days in the month × days occupied with the most common method), and the method your lease names decides the daily rate.

Last updated: 2026-10-26 · by MakeLease Editorial Team

Rent and dates

Monthly rent

$/mo

Proration method

Use the method your lease names.

Move-in (first day owed)

Last day owed (optional)

Leave blank to charge through the end of that month.

Prorated rent

$987.10

Daily rate

$58.06

Days charged

Through March 31, 2026

Method used: Days in the actual month

$1,800 ÷ 31 days × 17 days = $987.10

Same dates, all three methods
Method	Daily rate	Prorated rent
30-day month (rent ÷ 30)	$60.00	$1,020.00
365-day year (rent × 12 ÷ 365)	$59.18	$1,006.03
Days in the actual month	$58.06	$987.10

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How it's calculated

Prorated rent = daily rate × days charged
Days in the month: daily rate = monthly rent ÷ days in that month
365-day year: daily rate = monthly rent × 12 ÷ 365
30-day month: daily rate = monthly rent ÷ 30

Monthly rent is the base rent in the lease. Leave out deposits and one-time fees. Whether recurring charges like parking or pet rent are prorated too is something your lease should say.
Days charged counts the first and last day the tenant is responsible for, inclusive.
Days in the month uses the real length of the month: 28 or 29 for February, 30 or 31 otherwise. The daily rate changes from month to month.
365-day year spreads a year of rent evenly over every day, so the daily rate is the same in every month.
30-day month treats every month as 30 days. It is easy to do by hand, but it charges slightly more per day than the actual-days method in 31-day months and slightly less in February.

Worked example

The calculator starts with $1,800 monthly rent and a move-in on March 15, 2026, charged through March 31, 2026.

Days charged: March 15, 2026 through March 31, 2026, counting both days, is 17 days.
Days in the month: $1,800 ÷ 31 days × 17 days = $987.10, a daily rate of $58.06.
365-day year: $1,800 × 12 ÷ 365 × 17 days = $1,006.03.
30-day month: $1,800 ÷ 30 × 17 days = $1,020.00.

The spread between the lowest and highest method here is $32.90. That is small, but it is exactly the kind of difference tenants notice, which is why the method belongs in the lease.

Move-out: the same math works at the end of a lease. A tenant whose last day is June 10, 2026 owes 10 days for that month: $1,800 ÷ 30 days × 10 days = $600.00 with the days-in-the-month method.

Second-month proration: if you collect a full first month at signing instead, the tenant pays $1,800 at move-in and $1,800 + $987.10 = $2,787.10 on the next due date.

Which proration method is best?

None is more correct than the others. The best method is the one your lease states and you apply to every tenant the same way. Some practical differences:

Days in the month is the easiest to explain: rent for March is divided by March's 31 days.
365-day year gives one daily rate all year, which is handy if you also charge daily for holdover days or early move-ins.
30-day month is the simplest arithmetic and works without a calendar, but tenants moving in during a 31-day month pay a bit more than with the other two methods.

Whether you must prorate at all, and how, can depend on your lease and on state and local rules. Check the rules where the property is and what your lease says. Settle it in writing before move-in day: the lease (for example one from the lease agreement generator) sets the start date, and the move-in statement should show the prorated amount and how you figured it.

Common mistakes

Not stating a method in the lease, then picking whichever one gives the higher number.
Forgetting to count the move-in day itself, which undercharges by one day.
Using 30 days for every month but calling it the days-in-the-month method on the move-in statement.
Prorating rent but charging the full amount for monthly fees the lease says should be prorated too, or the other way around.
Changing method between tenants in the same building, which is hard to justify if a tenant asks.
Not writing the prorated amount and how it was figured on the move-in or move-out statement.

First-month vs. second-month proration

There are two common ways to handle a mid-month move-in. With first-month proration, the tenant pays only the prorated amount at move-in, and full rent starts on the next due date. With second-month proration, a common practice among landlords, the tenant pays a full month at move-in and the prorated amount is added to the second month's payment.

Second-month proration means more cash up front, which some landlords prefer for a new tenant. First-month proration is simpler for the tenant to follow. Either way, write the method and the timing into the lease, show the math on the move-in statement, and record it in your books like any other rent payment. The rental property accounting guide covers how to track it.

Frequently asked questions

Which proration method should I use?: Use the one your lease specifies. If your lease is silent, pick one, write it into your future leases, and apply it the same way to every tenant. The days-in-the-month method is easy to explain because the daily rate is tied to the actual month. The 365-day method gives the same daily rate all year. The 30-day method is the simplest arithmetic but charges a little more in 31-day months and a little less in February.
Do I count the move-in day?: This calculator counts both the start and end dates as days the tenant owes rent, which is the usual convention when the tenant gets the keys on the move-in date. If your lease says rent starts the day after move-in, enter that date instead.
Should I collect prorated rent at move-in or with the second month?: Both are common. Some landlords collect the prorated amount at signing. Others collect a full first month at move-in and add the prorated amount to the second month's rent, so the tenant has paid more up front. Whichever you choose, put it in the lease and on the move-in statement.
Is a landlord required to prorate rent?: That depends on your lease and on state and local rules, which vary. This calculator does not give legal advice. Check the rules where the property is located and what your lease says before you set a policy.

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