Before you read
Test yourself first: 5 questions
Question 1 of 5
A commercial property has an assessed value of $600,000 and a tax rate of 18 mills. What is the monthly amount the lender should escrow for property taxes?
Answer: B. Annual tax = $600,000 x 0.018 = $10,800; monthly escrow = $10,800 / 12 = $900.
Question 2 of 5
A house sits on a busy commercial highway, causing constant noise and traffic that reduces its residential value. This loss is BEST described as:
Answer: C. Value lost because of an undesirable location factor outside the property, such as highway noise and traffic, is external (economic) obsolescence and is generally incurable.
Question 3 of 5
In a triple-net (NNN) lease, the tenant pays:
Answer: A. In a triple-net lease the tenant covers the 'three nets' — taxes, insurance, and maintenance — on top of base rent. Common in commercial leasing.
Question 4 of 5
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) primarily requires accessibility in:
Answer: A. The ADA addresses access to commercial spaces and public accommodations; fair-housing accessibility for dwellings comes mainly from the Fair Housing Act.
Question 5 of 5
A 'brownfield' is best defined as:
Answer: B. Brownfields are abandoned or underused industrial/commercial properties where redevelopment is complicated by actual or potential hazardous contamination.
Keep the streak going with more questions like these, each with a full rationale.
What you need to know
Title III requires removing architectural barriers in existing buildings where 'readily achievable' (ramps, widened doors, accessible parking, lowered counters) and full accessibility in new construction and alterations. Leases often allocate ADA compliance costs between landlord and tenant — but the OBLIGATION to comply runs to both, regardless of the lease. Exam mapping: apartment tenant with a service animal → FHA reasonable accommodation; wheelchair customer can't enter the shop → ADA barrier removal.
ADA in Commercial Property: FAQs
Is ADA in Commercial Property on the real estate exam?
Yes. Leasing & Property Management is a scored domain on the real estate licensing exam, and this topic appears in the national portion.
Is this cheat sheet free?
Yes — every page on Cinna RE's resource library is free to read, print and share. The app adds practice questions, mock exams and a readiness score.
