---
title: "Contraction right — Class A Atlas glossary"
description: "Tenant right to surrender a portion of the premises at a stated trigger date."
canonical: https://classa.info/glossary/contraction-right
pageType: glossary
lastUpdated: 2026-04-01T00:00:00.000Z
license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)."
---

> Tenant right to surrender a portion of the premises at a stated trigger date.

## TL;DR

- Tenant right to surrender a portion of the premises at a stated trigger date.
- A contraction right allows the tenant to surrender a defined portion (typically 10-25%) of the premises at a stated date, often subject to a fee equivalent to the unamortised TI and free rent allocable to the surrendered space..

# Contraction right

*Lease structure · Global*

## Short definition

Tenant right to surrender a portion of the premises at a stated trigger date.

## Full definition

A contraction right allows the tenant to surrender a defined portion (typically 10-25%) of the premises at a stated date, often subject to a fee equivalent to the unamortised TI and free rent allocable to the surrendered space.

## Why this matters for Class A leasing

Contraction right is part of the lease structure vocabulary that institutional [Class A](/glossary/class-a) occupiers, landlords, and advisers use across Global markets. Understanding it correctly affects how you read lease documents, model occupancy economics, and benchmark deal terms across cities. Class A Atlas tracks regional variation alongside the global standard so [cross-border](/topics/cross-border-expansion) occupiers can translate quickly.

## See also

- [Expansion right](/glossary/expansion-right)
- [Termination option](/glossary/termination-option)

---

Citation: Source: Class A Atlas (https://classa.info/glossary/contraction-right), updated 2026-04-01T00:00:00.000Z.