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CAM Charges Decoded: What Your Landlord Is Really Billing You

Common Area Maintenance (CAM) charges can add $5-15 per square foot to your commercial lease in DFW. Some of that is legitimate shared costs. Some of it is landlord profit padding. Here's how to tell the difference.

Researched by the TruReport editorial team · Updated 2026-07-31 · Editorial standards

What CAM Typically Includes

Standard CAM charges cover:

  • Landscaping and grounds maintenance
  • Parking lot repairs and snow/ice removal
  • Common area utilities (lobbies, hallways, restrooms)
  • Security and janitorial for shared areas
  • Property management fee (usually 3-6% of gross rent)
  • Insurance for common areas

Red Flags in Your CAM Reconciliation

Watch for these in the annual CAM reconciliation statement:

  • Capital expenditures mixed in with operating expenses (new roof charged as CAM instead of amortized)
  • Management fee calculated on gross rent including CAM (double-dipping)
  • "Administrative fee" on top of management fee (sometimes 5-15% surcharge on all CAM expenses)
  • Landlord's own office space or leasing costs included in tenant CAM pool
  • Year-over-year CAM increases exceeding 5% without explanation

Full Guide Contents

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Full guide includes: annotated sample CAM reconciliation statement, lease clause language to negotiate a CAM cap, and DFW-specific CAM benchmarks by building class.

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