Expense definitions
Identify which CAM or NNN categories the lease permits, excludes, or treats specially.
Check: Signed lease · amendments
Commercial lease audit
Turn a lease and a bill into better questions.
A useful commercial lease review connects the signed agreement to the annual statement and the records behind it. Start with what the lease permits, then test the numbers you can actually support.
At a glance
01
Expense definitions
Identify which CAM or NNN categories the lease permits, excludes, or treats specially.
02
Caps and fees
Read limits on controllable costs, administration fees, base years, and capital amortization.
03
Allocation method
Compare the share percentage and area basis with the lease and statement.
The signed lease, annual statement, and available records determine what can be verified.
A practical review
Five places to examine before alleging an error.
Each question needs a lease clause, a billed amount, and often a supporting record. A lease alone cannot confirm whether a charge was calculated correctly.
Caps and fees
Read limits on controllable costs, administration fees, base years, and capital amortization.
Check: Lease clauses · cap worksheet
Allocation method
Compare the share percentage and area basis with the lease and statement.
Check: Area schedule · share calculation
Statement and timing
Reconcile billed categories and prior payments; check the notice, records, and audit provisions before acting.
Check: Annual reconciliation · payment ledger · notices clause
An illustrative example
A rising total is the start of an investigation.
Suppose CAM increased from one year to the next. The useful question is which categories changed, whether a cap applies to them, and whether all estimate payments were credited.
Illustrative only. An increase does not establish an overcharge or recoverable amount.
Illustrative review worksheet
Lease
Controllable operating costs are subject to a defined increase limit.
Statement
Several categories and the total CAM charge increased.
Ask
Which categories are controllable, and how was the limit applied?
Request
Category ledger, cap worksheet, and payment history.
Go one step deeper
Keep the audit window in view.
The agreement may specify separate periods for requesting records, objecting, and starting an audit. Read the complete procedure before relying on a date.
Related guides
Keep the document trail together.
Expense categories
Questions to ask about exclusions and pass-throughs.
Read the guide ↗CAM reconciliation
How an annual true-up brings charges and estimates together.
Read the guide ↗Review checklist
A repeatable sequence for organizing documents.
Read the guide ↗Common questions
What the documents can tell you.
Can I review only the lease?
Yes. The lease can surface terms to check. An annual statement and supporting records are needed to compare actual billing.
Does a flagged item prove an overcharge?
No. It is a question to verify against the signed lease, the annual statement, and supporting records. A charge can be valid even when it warrants review.
Is there a standard audit deadline?
No. Read the signed lease and amendments for the trigger, period, required action, recipient, and delivery method. Different review steps may have different rules.
What does the paid report add?
It organizes page-referenced lease terms, billing questions when a statement is supplied, and records to request. It does not certify an overcharge.
Your next step
Start with your own lease language.
Upload a readable signed lease for a free preview. Add an annual CAM or NNN statement if you have one, then decide whether a full report would help organize your questions.