In the world of commercial real estate, shared maintenance costs often become a major source of confusion — and occasionally, conflict — between landlords and tenants. Common Area Maintenance (CAM) fees cover costs for shared spaces such as hallways, elevators, lobbies, parking, landscaping, lighting, and other facilities that benefit all tenants.
However, pushing the burden of these shared costs onto tenants can lead to errors and miscalculations. That’s why CAM audit services play such a crucial role: they provide clarity, transparency, and fairness in allocating these costs, helping both tenants and landlords stay aligned with lease terms and avoid overcharges.
What Exactly is a CAM Audit?
A CAM audit is a comprehensive review of a commercial lease’s CAM charges, reconciling actual expenses with what the lease allows. The audit examines whether maintenance costs, property insurance, taxes, utilities, and other pass-through expenses have been correctly calculated and fairly allocated among tenants.
During such an audit, professionals review lease provisions, general ledger entries, invoices, expense categories, and cost-allocation methodologies. They check whether items billed to tenants are truly part of common-area maintenance — and whether exclusions or non-recoverable expenses have been mistakenly passed on.
For tenants, this can expose overcharges or improper billing. For landlords, it ensures compliance and helps prevent disputes.
For Tenants — Why You Should Care
For tenants in commercial properties, CAM audit services offer critical protections:
- Prevent overpayments. Without audits, misunderstandings or misallocations can lead to inflated CAM bills.
- Ensure transparency. Tenants get visibility into how common expenses are grouped, allocated, and billed.
- Resolve disputes effectively. If landlords have included inappropriate costs (for example, capital improvements, legal fees, or items outside the CAM clause), audits help identify and challenge them.
- Budget reliably. With accurate CAM allocations, tenants can forecast occupancy costs realistically and avoid sudden unexpected bills.
In short: a proper CAM audit empowers tenants to only pay their fair share and not more.
