The BOMA BEST Certification program is applicable to all commercial asset classes: Office, Enclosed Shopping Center, Health Care, Light Industrial, Multi-Unit Residential Buildings, Open Air Retail, Universal. 

Buildings are eligible to participate if the following conditions are met at the time of application:  

1. The building must have at least one active occupant. 
2. The Applicant must select the Questionnaire type that matches the definition of that building’s asset class. Building Definitions are available here. 
3. Buildings in the Portfolio Stream must operate under a common management company, using common management policies. 

Occupancy rates 

Buildings with a 12-month average occupancy rate of ≥50% may qualify for Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum certification. 

Buildings with <50% occupancy rate are eligible for the Baseline level only. 

Occupancy rate represents the percentage of actively leased floor area compared to the total net leasable area: 

(Average actively leased area in past 12 months / Total Net Leasable Area) x 100 

Occupancy rate is based on the percentage of the net leasable area that is actively leased. 

Vacancy rate refers to the percentage of the net leasable area that is not leased. 

This is different from the occupant density which is based on the percentage of occupants actually inside the building on a given day.