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Operating Expense Ratio

The percentage of gross rental income consumed by operating expenses.

Definition

The operating expense ratio (OER) measures how efficiently a rental property is run by comparing operating expenses to gross rental income. A lower ratio means more of each rent dollar flows through to NOI. OER excludes mortgage payments, depreciation, and capital expenditures — it focuses purely on day-to-day operating costs.

Formula

OER = (Operating Expenses ÷ Gross Rental Income) × 100

Operating expense ratio equals operating expenses divided by gross rental income, expressed as a percentage.

Example

A property generates $36,000 in annual gross rent and has $14,400 in operating expenses (taxes, insurance, maintenance, management, HOA). OER = ($14,400 ÷ $36,000) × 100 = 40%. This means 40 cents of every rent dollar covers operating costs.

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