Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
Definition of "Floor Area Ratio (FAR)"
The ratio between a structure's total floor area and the total land area of the land upon which it is constructed. The floor area ratio definition is the ratio of the total amount of usable floor area that the building has to offer the homeowner, from the total area of the property on which the building has been constructed. The floor area ratio must conform to the building code's floor area specifications. A bigger floor area ratio is likely to represent urban highly populated areas, with high population density per square mile where there are more high rise apartment buildings and condominiums instead of detached family homes. The area ratio is used by local governments for use with zoning codes issues and delimitations.
The FAR (Floor Area Ratio) is calculated by dividing the total building floor area by the total building lot square area:
Floor Area Ratio = Total Building Floor Area/Gross Lot Area
What is the Floor Area Ratio?
When you consider the floor area ratio you don’t only look at the footprint of the building but at the whole floor area of the building. The things that are taken out of the equation in this calculation are all the unoccupied areas of the area like basements, stairs, elevator shafts, and parking garages.
What variates the floor area ratio of a city are factors like population density, patterns of population growth, and activities that involve construction in a city, residential neighborhoods, condominiums, etc. This affects the nature space, parks in cities where residential areas take over. These floor area ratios of cities are determined by local governments that enforce regulations and restrictions of new constructions to stabilize the balance of this ratio.
Being a key determinant of developments in any country, the floor area ratio is a deterrent to construction but it keeps it regularized. Not only the real estate industry struggles to maintain an acceptable level of floor area ratio, but any kind of industry throughout the country in order to open up space and the resources of the land to the real estate developers. A high floor area ratio allows developers to construct buildings for homebuyers, businesses, and industries, which increases sales and provides supply for increasing demand.
Popular Real Estate Terms
Increasing tax rates with increasing levels of taxable income. ...
loan that is not secured by a mortgage on a specific property. It is backed only by the borrower's credit rating. Unsecured loan are typically short term. The disadvantages of this kind of ...
Legal responsibility for something. For example, an owner of commercial property (e.g., restaurant) is legally obligated for damages on that property (e.g., restaurant patron falls and ...
Receipt given for a partial payment made on the sale of property. It shows the buyer has made a down payment. ...
To clip or prune shrubbery,etc. ...
Expenditure paid to occupy property over a specified time period. ...
One-time charge assessed by a bank or other financial institution at the closing of buying real property. The fee increases the effective cost to the borrower. One discount point translates ...
The continued and illegal occupancy of property after a legal period of occupancy has expired. In an estate at sufferance the tenant occupies the property at the sufferance of property ...
Oral defamation of the character or reputation of another. It is the basis for a lawsuit. ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.