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Market vs Contract Rent Calculator
Contract rent is what the tenant pays today; market rent is what a new tenant would pay. The gap is loss-to-lease (if below market) or mark-to-market opportunity.
Value gap at cap rate
$5,000,000
Gap per unit (monthly)
$250
Annual rent gap (portfolio)
$300,000
Gap as % of market
12.20%
How the math works
Market − contract rent = loss-to-lease (or above-market premium, if negative). It's the mark-to-market opportunity on acquisition.
Value-add sponsors buy property at market cap on contract rent, renovate + push rents to market, and capture the value gap. It's the single biggest source of alpha in multifamily value-add.
EveryCalc calculators are designed for fast, practical estimates with transparent inputs and no required account. We use plain formulas, visible assumptions, and related tools so visitors can check the result from more than one angle.
Results are informational only. For financial, tax, legal, medical, construction, or other high-impact decisions, verify the output against primary sources or a qualified professional.
Learn more about our review process on the EveryCalc methodology page.
How this calculator works
What this page estimates
This Market vs Contract Rent Calculator is built to give a quick, browser-based estimate for market vs contract rent. Contract rent is what the tenant pays today; market rent is what a new tenant would pay. The gap is loss-to-lease (if below market) or mark-to-market opportunity. The inputs stay on the page during normal use, and the result should be treated as an estimate for planning, comparison, or education rather than professional advice.
Calculation approach
The calculator applies the standard relationship implied by the inputs, then formats the answer so it can be checked and reused. For finance tools, the most important step is using consistent units, rates, time periods, and assumptions before comparing the result with another calculator or outside quote.
Example workflow
For example, start with a realistic value you already know, change one input at a time, and watch how the answer moves. That makes it easier to tell whether the result is being driven by the main amount, the rate, the time period, or a unit conversion.
Practical checks
- Use current, real-world numbers when the result affects money, health, tax, or legal decisions.
- Run a low, base, and high case when the inputs are estimates.
- Check the related calculators below when the next decision depends on a different assumption.
How to interpret the market vs contract rent result
Best use
Use the result as a planning number for comparing payments, rates, returns, tax reserves, or cash-flow choices before you request a quote or make a commitment.
Cross-check
Compare the answer with the contract, lender estimate, tax form, brokerage statement, payroll record, or invoice that will control the real-world outcome.
Watch for
Do not rely on a single optimistic rate, return, or fee assumption. Money pages work best when you run low, base, and high cases and keep professional advice separate from the estimate.
This page belongs to the Finance calculator library, so the answer should be read in the context of the decision you are modeling rather than as a universal rule.
Before relying on this market vs contract rent estimate
Most calculator mistakes come from the inputs, not the arithmetic. Use this short audit before you reuse the answer in a spreadsheet, quote, application, or important conversation.
Confirm source numbers
Match balances, rates, fees, taxes, income, and payment dates against the lender quote, payroll record, tax form, statement, invoice, or contract.
Separate cash flow from total cost
A lower monthly payment can still cost more over time if fees, interest, taxes, or a longer term are hidden in the structure.
Run conservative cases
Test at least one higher-cost or lower-return case before using the output for a purchase, refinance, investment, loan, or tax decision.
Rerun this page when the rate, price, term, fee, tax rule, income, expense, or expected holding period changes.
How to Use
- Enter monthly contract rent.
- Enter monthly market rent.
- Enter unit count.
- Read gap, annual impact, and value impact at cap.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why gap exists?
Long-term tenants, renewal discounts, or recent market moves. Multifamily with 2-year leases often carries 3-8% loss-to-lease in up markets.
How do you close the gap?
At renewal — raise to market. At turnover — new lease at market. Some rent-controlled markets cap increases, slowing the close.
Above-market rent?
Happens with long NNN leases with escalators in declining markets. Tenants may renegotiate or default. Underwriters heavily discount above-market rent in valuation.
What documentation matters here?
Written leases, move-in/move-out inspections with photographs, ledger entries showing every payment and charge, served notices with proof of service, and contemporaneous emails or texts. Courts weigh written evidence heavily; informal understandings rarely stand. Institutional operators run a monthly file audit to catch gaps before they matter. Good paper trails recover most of what's owed.
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