How a medical practice can question CAM charges

A CAM statement tells you what the landlord billed. Your lease and amendments tell you which costs may be passed through and how your share should be calculated. Compare the two before calling a line item an overcharge.

1. Find the rules in your lease

Read the operating expense definition, exclusions, allocation method, administrative fee language, capital cost provisions, and any caps. Check amendments too. Locate the exact procedure and deadline, if any, for requesting records or sending a billing objection. The applicable terms depend on your agreement.

2. Match each question to a statement line

Note the reconciliation year, category, billed amount, credits, and your stated share. Recalculate visible arithmetic. Then identify the lease clause that makes a category or allocation worth checking. Keep a separate list for figures that cannot be verified from the statement alone.

3. Check costs specific to the building and your practice

Medical buildings may have shared and tenant-specific systems. Ask whether the billed cost pool includes expenses for equipment or services used by only some tenants, such as dedicated HVAC, backup power, specialized utilities, medical waste, or reserved parking. Also check how capital projects and administrative fees were treated. None of these costs is automatically improper; the lease and supporting records determine the answer.

4. Request the records you need

Follow the lease procedure for requesting backup. For each questioned line, identify the year and amount and ask for the relevant invoice, ledger detail, area or allocation schedule, fee calculation, or amortization schedule. A useful question is specific: “The statement allocates this generator expense to our suite. Please provide the invoice, allocation method, and the lease provision used for this charge.”

5. Track the response and any deadline

Save the statement, lease excerpts, your calculation, the request, and the landlord's response together. Use the notice recipient, method, and timing specified in your lease. If a deadline is close or the amount is material, consult a qualified attorney or accountant about your next step. A report or records request does not itself preserve contractual rights.

Related guides

• Review a medical office CAM reconciliation
• Understand medical office NNN expenses
• Check medical office lease terms