Is Your Company Throwing Away Money On Phantom Space?

by Aug 16, 2019Tenant Representation, Tenant Tips

Is Your Company Throwing Away Money On Phantom Space?

Phantom space has nothing to do with a building being haunted. But it is scary to think of the money you could be throwing away if it exists in your company’s lease.

To understand what this means you first need to understand how your landlord determines the square footage of your leased space. “Usable space” is the space actually contained within your walls. “Rentable space” is the usable space plus your proportionate share of all common building areas. The American National Standards Industry (ANSI) has created detailed specifications on how to create accurate measurements. Some standards have been adopted by The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA). Some landlords agree to adopt these standards. Some don’t.

Phantom space occurs when either the usable or rentable square footage numbers or both are inflated.

This can happen because the Landlord or their representatives choose to ignore the ANSI/BOMA standards in favor of their own. Calculations may be based on a measurement of the landlord’s choosing. This can be anything that the landlord decides and may or may not be based on a real metric. Illegal? No. All aspects of a lease are negotiable, including the basis for measurement. The landlords that do this almost certainly have attorneys who include
language in the lease that will indemnify them and prevent recalculation once the lease is signed.

Take these precautions to protect yourself:

• Insist that measurements and rentable adjustments be done in accordance with ANSI/BOMA standards.
• Hire your own architect. Architects have a fiduciary responsibility to their clients.
• Include language in the lease document that affirms measurement to ANSI standards and allows for adjustment if a discrepancy is discovered.
• Be certain that you have a tenant representative that insists on the items above, manages the transaction accordingly, and will not passively accept the non-conforming measurements of unscrupulous landlords.

Contact Ryan Hartsell with questions or assistance to purchase or lease commercial real estate in and around the Houston, Texas area.

Ready to Secure
Your Space to Thrive?
Let's Talk!

2000 W Loop S, Suite 400
Houston, Texas 77027

Our Services

Renew
Renew
Relocate / Relocate Early
Relocate / Relocate Early
Expand
Expand
Downsize
Downsize
Sublease / Terminate
Sublease / Terminate
Purchase
Purchase
Sell
Sell
Healthcare Tenant & Buyer Agents
Healthcare Tenant & Buyer Agents
Portfolio Management
Portfolio Management
Data Analytics
Data Analytics
Economic Incentives
Economic Incentives

What our Clients Say

  • I would recommend Oxford Partners, and specifically D.J. Hale, to anyone looking for a commercial broker. Several months ago, our church—a relatively new mission church in Houston, located in the... read more

    President Hope Lutheran Avatar President Hope Lutheran
    August 17, 2023

    Oxford Partners were great with their follow ups and helped us negotiate a better contract. Thank you Ryan and Perry for all your help.

    AliAsgher Sunelwala Avatar AliAsgher Sunelwala
    August 22, 2023

    Ryan and Perry did an excellent job guiding our company in our search for a new office space to lease. They are very knowledgeable and were extremely patient throughout... read more

    Sarah Page Avatar Sarah Page
    August 23, 2022
  • Customer service, responsiveness, one phone call away, able to negotiate a very favorable deal for our law firm (Denuna Law Firm). Would highly recommend for all your commercial real... read more

    Justin Saldivar Avatar Justin Saldivar
    August 17, 2023

    Chase was outstanding when I needed help finding commercial real estate for my medical practice. I had specific requirements and he worked relentlessly to find me options in a seller's... read more

    Dr Iyad Daher Avatar Dr Iyad Daher
    September 23, 2022

    Vincent assisted my law firm in securing new office space and was always responsive, insightful and a great advocate for my business throughout the entire process. I cannot... read more

    Brian Nguyen Avatar Brian Nguyen
    August 23, 2022
  • Highly recommended! We were in an urgent need of assistance in relocating our facility, and Chase was just beyond helpful throughout the whole process. Very professional, knowledgeable, and always beyond... read more

    Sean Choi Avatar Sean Choi
    August 23, 2022

    Ryan Hartsell is great to work with!

    Patricia Smith Avatar Patricia Smith
    November 23, 2022

    Matt Rodgers helped us find a great office in a great building and was nice to work with throughout the whole process.

    Morgan Hartmann Avatar Morgan Hartmann
    August 16, 2023
  • Perry and Matt were excellent to work with. They were patient and listened to our wants and needs when it came to finding a new office/warehouse for our quickly... read more

    You Know Avatar You Know
    November 23, 2022

    Chase McAteer worked diligently with our team on finding a suitable location for our business. Our needs are a bit unique, but Chase took the time to understand. ... read more

    David Singleton Avatar David Singleton
    August 23, 2022

    Working with Oxford Partners to find our companies new office space went really well. We had the pleasure of working with DJ who was professional, helpful, and responsive throughout the... read more

    Drew Roberts Avatar Drew Roberts
    July 23, 2023
  • Great experience working with Ryan! Would recommend.

    Amit Mittal Avatar Amit Mittal
    August 23, 2022

    Ryan Hartsell with Oxford Partners was very helpful in finding my company a new office space recently. Ryan made the process very easy and smooth and was able to work... read more

    Houston LISC Avatar Houston LISC
    August 23, 2022

    Oxford Partners was a pleasure to work with. Very professional and courteous, D.J. acted in our company's best interests to find the best commercial office space, layout and price... read more

    Darren T Avatar Darren T
    August 16, 2023
  • I recently had the pleasure of working with Perry Mazzone as my real estate agent, and I couldn't be happier with the experience. Perry was absolutely fantastic! He worked tirelessly... read more

    Tedjo Liman Avatar Tedjo Liman
    April 23, 2023

    We highly recommend DJ Hale to help you with your acquisition or sale. DJ worked with us in finding and acquiring our first church home in the Heights area.... read more

    Mark Hartman Avatar Mark Hartman
    August 16, 2023

    Absolutely awesome experience! Nick out in Raleigh is amazing to work with. He helped me find the perfect location in a market that did not seem to friendly for a... read more

    Robert Winters Avatar Robert Winters
    April 23, 2023
  • Absolutely relentless. Garth Plyler is our hero. We started looking for new corporate offices and he didn’t quit until we were in the new place. He worked until he found... read more

    Don Doyle Avatar Don Doyle
    August 2, 2023

    Matt did a fantastic job getting us into a great building. I was indecisive and wasn't sure what I needed or where I wanted to be. Matt was very patient... read more

    Brian Ayson Avatar Brian Ayson
    August 18, 2023

    I had a great experience with Oxford Partners. Matt Rogers helped me and my Law firm secure a great new lease on a fantastic building/office. There is no... read more

    Sean Darvishi Avatar Sean Darvishi
    August 16, 2023
  • Vincent Vega has been so helpful throughout the process of obtaining a new office space. He was always available to answer all questions when needed. I definitely will recommend him.

    Faustine Avatar Faustine
    August 23, 2022

    Had a wonderful experience with both Jacob and Vincent. They met my needs, battled for the best rates and outcomes during the lease negotiations, and were very quick to... read more

    Ryan Reisner Avatar Ryan Reisner
    July 23, 2023

    Extremely professional, knows what he is doing and also understands the needs and budget of his clients. I am extremely happy with his service as I got a very good... read more

    Spectrum SBLLC Avatar Spectrum SBLLC
    December 23, 2022
  • Congratulations to the Oxford partners team, great service, follow up and support. Highly recommended!

    Erik Bladinieres Avatar Erik Bladinieres
    October 23, 2022

    Chase and Melissa were awesome! They kept us informed every step of the way and worked so diligently in helping us to secure a property. We look forward to working... read more

    Cayla Clark Avatar Cayla Clark
    January 23, 2023

    Chase has deep expertise in commercial leasing. He's patient, professional, and continued to grind on our behalf day-after-day in a tough market. We couldn't recommend him strongly enough.

    Corey Astill Avatar Corey Astill
    March 23, 2023
  • I am thanking my lucky stars I got to work with DJ (Douglas) Hale on my recent lease renewal for my dental office. He was thorough in going... read more

    Jessica Caballero Avatar Jessica Caballero
    August 23, 2022

    You don't want Chase McAteer, you NEED Chase McAteer! I had the pleasure of working with Chase a little over 5 years ago when I started a new company and... read more

    Diana Dang Avatar Diana Dang
    August 16, 2023

    Working with Chase is the absolute best! He's knowledgable and has your best interest at heart when finding a commercial space for your business.

    Emma Wilking Ghelber Avatar Emma Wilking Ghelber
    August 16, 2023