# How to Calculate Weeks Free Rent on a Daily Rate > How to calculate weeks free rent: turn the rent into a daily rate, multiply by the free days, then spread it over the lease. Worked Dallas examples inside. URL: https://apartmentlocatordallas.com/guide/how-to-read-a-concession-on-a-daily-rate/ Last-Modified: 2026-10-12 Reference guide # How to Calculate Weeks Free Rent on a Dallas Lease Here's how to calculate weeks free rent the right way: by the day, not by the month. Six weeks free is 42 days, not a month and a half. Turn any concession into a daily rate to see your effective monthly rent, step by step. Published August 2, 2026 3 min read ## The formula, first **Daily rate = (monthly rent × 12) ÷ 365** Everything else comes from that one line. It's the math you use to check move-in specials [/move-in-specials/ →](/move-in-specials/) prices. 1. Daily rate × days in the lease = gross lease cost 2. Daily rate × free days = concession value 3. (Gross − concession) ÷ lease months = effective monthly rent ## Step one is always the day count Concessions get quoted in weeks or in months. Weeks are a day count, so count the days first. A month free is one month of rent, whatever month it is. | Quoted as | Days free | | --- | --- | | Four weeks free | 28 | | Six weeks free | 42 | | Eight weeks free | 56 | | One month free | No day count: one month of rent, any month | | Two months free | No day count: two months of rent | “Six weeks free” and “a month and a half free” differ by about 3.6 days. At a $50 daily rate, that's $180. Plenty to decide between two close offers. ## Six weeks free, step by step $1,500 rent, 12 month lease, six weeks free. - Daily rate: (1,500 × 12) ÷ 365 = **$49.32** - Lease days: 365 - Gross lease cost: 49.32 × 365 = **$18,000** - Free days: 42 - Concession value: 49.32 × 42 = **$2,071** - Net lease cost: 18,000 − 2,071 = $15,929 - Effective monthly: 15,929 ÷ 12 = **$1,327** The sign says $1,500. You average $1,327. That's the number to use when you compare offers. See net effective rent [/guide/net-effective-rent-vs-headline-rent/ →](/guide/net-effective-rent-vs-headline-rent/) for the full definition. > **Don't average the free weeks into months** > > “Six weeks free is about a month and a half” feels close enough, and it's wrong enough to rank two offers backwards. Do the days. A month free is the easy one: > > it is one month of rent > > [/guide/how-to-read-a-concession-on-a-daily-rate/#a-month-free-is-a-months-rent →](/guide/how-to-read-a-concession-on-a-daily-rate/#a-month-free-is-a-months-rent) > > , so only weeks and days need this math. ## What the effective rent does not cover **Fees.** Amenity, parking, package, valet trash, pest, pet rent, split utility bills (RUBS), and bulk internet come every month, and no concession touches them. Add them on top. **The clawback.** If breaking early means paying back the free rent, you only get that effective rent by finishing the lease. Read the concession addendum. **Renewal.** Concessions apply to year one. In month thirteen, the rent goes back toward market. Our move-in specials [/move-in-specials/ →](/move-in-specials/) page covers all three in more detail. ## Longer terms and partial months Two things come up a lot. **Terms other than 12 months.** A 15 month lease has roughly 456 days. Use the real lease length in step one. The daily rate stays the same. **Prorated first month.** If you move in partway through a month, the first month is prorated at the daily rate. It's the same number doing a different job, so check that the property figures it the way you do. ## A month free is one month of rent, in any month Rent is a monthly price. So a free February and a free July take off the same amount: one month of rent. At $1,825 rent, either one is worth $1,825. Don't turn a month free into days. Days matter for weeks. At $1,825 rent the daily rate is $60. Four weeks free (28 days) is worth $1,680, which is $145 less than a month free. Six weeks free (42 days) is worth $2,520. Ask the office: "Is the special a month of rent or a set number of days?" Then price it the right way. ## Where this gets used Use it any time two offers differ on lease length or on how they word the concession. Convert both, add each building's community fees, and then you just subtract one from the other. Rather skip the arithmetic? Our net effective rent calculator will do the conversion for you. Answers ## Questions about this How do I figure out a concession quoted in weeks free? Turn the weeks into days and multiply by the daily rate, which is (monthly rent x 12) / 365. Subtract that from the full lease cost, then divide by the number of months in the lease. That's your effective monthly rent. Is six weeks free the same as a month and a half? No. Six weeks is 42 days. A month and a half is about 45.6 days at the average month length. Treat six weeks as a month and a half and the deal looks about 3.6 days of rent bigger than it is. Why use 365 rather than 360 or 12 months? The lease and the concession both count calendar days. Dividing a year of rent by 365 gives a daily rate that matches that count. ## Learn more about Move-In Specials Specials read on a daily rate, the clawback catch to look for, and a calculator for any offer you get. Renters pay nothing for the search. Read the Move-In Specials page [/move-in-specials/ →](/move-in-specials/) Get My List [/get-my-list/ →](/get-my-list/)