Gross vs net lease: US office rent explained
The single biggest source of confusion in US rent is the difference between gross and net leases — it changes what your quoted number actually includes.
The difference
In a full-service (gross) lease, one rent covers taxes, insurance, maintenance and often utilities — simple and predictable. In a net (NNN) lease, a lower base rent is quoted but you pay property taxes, insurance and common-area maintenance on top, so the real cost is higher than it looks. Serviced and coworking space is effectively all-inclusive. Always ask which structure a quote uses before comparing two buildings.
Compare like-for-like across US cities on RentOfficeToday.
