ALA Certified Legal Manager Practice Exam

The rationale behind selecting the option stating that it includes common areas as NOT a characteristic of usable area stems from the definition of usable area itself. Usable area refers specifically to space that can be occupied and utilized by tenants within an office or building. It generally encompasses areas such as individual offices, conference rooms, and workspaces, but it does not include common areas like lobbies, hallways, or shared restrooms.

When measuring usable area, the focus is on the space that directly contributes to a tenant's operations, often excluding any shared facilities that do not belong to an individual tenant. This distinction is crucial in commercial real estate and leasing, as tenants pay for the space they can actively use rather than the entire square footage of the building, which includes common areas.

Additionally, the other options align with the characteristics of usable area: it is indeed measured on floor plans, reflects the actual space available for tenants, and typically excludes structural elements like columns when calculating the usable space. These aspects further clarify the definition and expectations around usable area in real estate contexts.