Commercial Rent Calculator Australia

Work out commercial lease rent from the rate per square metre: yearly, monthly and weekly, with outgoings, GST and rent reviews.

Calculator Inputs

Lease State

Lease Structure

Floor Area

sqm

Net Rate

$ /sqm

TLease Term & Reviews

Term (Years)

CPI Region

Current CPI

3.5%pa

Index137.4

$Annual Outgoings

Council

Land Tax

Insurance

Water

Strata

Other

Outgoings Insight$0 /sqm • 0.0% of rent

+Incentives & Provisions

Rent-Free

Months

Fitout Cont.

Include Make Good Provision

A "Make Good" clause requires the tenant to return the premises to its original condition at the end of the lease.

Apply 10% GST to totals

Face Monthly$0

Effective Annual$0

Effective Rate$0/sqm pa

Total Term Commitment$0

How to calculate commercial lease rates

Australian commercial rents are quoted per square metre per year. Multiply the rate by the lettable area for the yearly rent, then divide for monthly or weekly figures.

Yearly rent = area (sqm) × rate per sqm
Monthly rent = yearly rent ÷ 12
Weekly rent = yearly rent ÷ 52
Rate per sqm = rate per square foot × 10.764
Net lease: add outgoings on top, then 10% GST

Example: 150 sqm at $450 per sqm

Yearly rent: $67,500
Monthly rent: $5,625
Weekly rent: $1,298.08
Same rate per square foot: $41.81

For outgoings, incentives and turnover rent explained step by step, read the guide to calculating commercial lease rates.

About This Commercial Rent Calculator

Tailored for the Australian leasing market

This professional commercial rent calculator is engineered specifically for Australian commercial tenants, landlords, and leasing brokers navigating the complexities of retail, office, and industrial lease agreements. Unlike simple residential rent projections, commercial leasing involves distinct lease structures, shifting outgoings, and multi-year escalations that materially impact overall lease liability. This tool allows users to model net and gross lease structures, project rent-free and fitout incentive amortisation, and simulate annual rent reviews. By standardising complex inputs such as rentable area, face rent, state-specific land taxes, council rates, and strata levies, it calculates your true occupancy costs, effective rent, and a complete lease schedule. Whether you are a business owner negotiating a retail shopfront, a commercial broker comparing prospective warehouse proposals, or an institutional landlord structuring complex multi-tenant office schedules, this calculator provides the transparent, data-driven mathematical foundation needed to assess the true financial commitments of any commercial property transaction across Australia.

Worked Commercial Rent Calculation Example

Typical Brisbane Retail Tenancy Scenario

To understand how the calculator works, let us walk through a typical Australian commercial net lease scenario using fictional figures. Consider a boutique retail space in Brisbane with a total lettable area of 150 square metres. The agreed face rent is set at 450 dollars per square metre per year, under a net lease arrangement with a five-year term and a fixed annual increase of three point five percent.

Stage 1: Base Rent Generation

First, we calculate the initial annual base rent by multiplying the lettable area by the rate per square metre. In this case, 150 square metres multiplied by 450 dollars yields an annual base face rent of 67,500 dollars, which translates to a monthly base payment of 5,625 dollars.

Stage 2: Adding Operating Outgoings

Since this is a net lease, the tenant is responsible for paying building outgoings in addition to the base rent. The estimated annual outgoings are composed of 3,200 dollars for municipal council rates, 1,800 dollars for water and sewerage utilities, 2,500 dollars for building insurance, and 4,500 dollars for body corporate strata levies. This brings the total annual outgoings contribution to 12,000 dollars.

Therefore, the total initial annual occupancy cost is 79,500 dollars, or 6,625 dollars per month. In Australia, commercial transactions are generally subject to the Goods and Services Tax. Adding the ten percent GST to the total occupancy cost results in an initial annual payment of 87,450 dollars, or 7,287.50 dollars per month. At the end of year one, the base rent of 67,500 dollars will increase by the agreed three point five percent to become 69,862.50 dollars for year two, while outgoings will be adjusted based on actual cost changes.

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Common questions

How do you calculate commercial lease rates?

Multiply the lettable area in square metres by the rent per square metre per year. For example, 150 sqm at $450 per sqm is $67,500 a year, or $5,625 a month. Under a net lease, outgoings are added on top, and GST of 10% is usually added to the total.

How is commercial rent calculated per month?

Work out the yearly rent (area in sqm × rate per sqm) and divide by 12. For a net lease, add the monthly share of outgoings. A $67,500 yearly rent is $5,625 a month before outgoings and GST.

How do I convert rent per square foot to rent per square metre?

One square metre is 10.764 square feet, so multiply a rate per square foot by 10.764 to get the rate per square metre. For example, $35 per square foot a year is about $376.74 per square metre a year. Australian leases are almost always quoted per square metre.

What is the difference between face rent and effective rent?

Face rent is the rent written in the lease. Effective rent is what you really pay once incentives such as rent-free months or a fitout contribution are spread over the lease. For example, $100,000 a year face rent on a five-year lease with $50,000 of rent-free months is an effective rent of about $90,000 a year.

Do commercial rental prices in Australia include outgoings?

It depends on whether the lease is gross or net. Under a net lease, outgoings such as council rates, insurance and maintenance are paid on top of the base rent. Under a gross lease, they are included in the rent.

Is GST charged on commercial rent?

Usually, yes. If the landlord is registered for GST, 10% is added to commercial rent and outgoings. A tenant registered for GST can generally claim it back as an input tax credit. Residential rent is GST-free.

What is a ratchet clause in a commercial lease?

A ratchet clause stops the rent going down at a rent review, even if the market or CPI falls. They are banned in retail leases in most states but can still appear in office and industrial leases.