What audit rights do Washington commercial tenants have?

Washington commercial lease audit rights are contractual — they arise from your lease, not from a state statute. Most Seattle-area commercial leases include an audit clause requiring written notice within a specified window after receiving the annual reconciliation. RCW 4.16.040 provides a 6-year statute of limitations for written contract claims, meaning CAM overcharges billed as far back as 2020 may still be recoverable.

Does Washington recognize the discovery rule for CAM overcharge claims?

Yes, Washington courts have applied the discovery rule to toll the statute of limitations in cases where the injury was not reasonably discoverable at the time it occurred. For CAM overcharges buried in complex reconciliation statements, this may extend the limitations period beyond the standard 6 years in some circumstances. Consult a Washington commercial attorney if you believe you have claims older than 6 years.

Why are base year errors common in Seattle tech sector office leases?

Many Seattle tech sector office leases in South Lake Union, Eastlake, and Capitol Hill were signed between 2015 and 2019 — at or near the peak of the commercial rent market. Base years negotiated at peak occupancy and peak operating costs lock in a high baseline, which can result in undercharging tenants relative to the lease formula if subsequent years see lower costs. Conversely, base years set incorrectly — using a year of abnormally low occupancy or including non-recurring expenses — inflate the apparent escalation in subsequent years. CAMAudit checks the base year calculation against the formula in your lease.

How does CAMAudit handle Bellevue Eastside leases versus Seattle proper?

CAMAudit handles both markets. Bellevue and Eastside retail and office leases are predominantly NNN or modified gross structures, similar to Seattle proper. The detection rules are the same across both markets — the key variables are the specific provisions in your individual lease, which CAMAudit extracts from your uploaded documents.

What types of Seattle commercial leases does CAMAudit support?

CAMAudit supports all lease structures common in the Seattle market: NNN (common in Capitol Hill retail and Pioneer Square creative office), modified gross (common in South Lake Union and Eastlake tech office), full-service gross with base year (prevalent in Class A downtown and Bellevue office), and biotech campus structures in SLU. The 14 detection rules apply based on the lease type extracted from your documents.

What audit rights do Washington commercial tenants have?

Washington commercial lease audit rights are contractual — they arise from your lease, not from a state statute. Most Seattle-area commercial leases include an audit clause requiring written notice within a specified window after receiving the annual reconciliation. RCW 4.16.040 provides a 6-year statute of limitations for written contract claims, meaning CAM overcharges billed as far back as 2020 may still be recoverable.

Does Washington recognize the discovery rule for CAM overcharge claims?

Yes, Washington courts have applied the discovery rule to toll the statute of limitations in cases where the injury was not reasonably discoverable at the time it occurred. For CAM overcharges buried in complex reconciliation statements, this may extend the limitations period beyond the standard 6 years in some circumstances. Consult a Washington commercial attorney if you believe you have claims older than 6 years.

Why are base year errors common in Seattle tech sector office leases?

Many Seattle tech sector office leases in South Lake Union, Eastlake, and Capitol Hill were signed between 2015 and 2019 — at or near the peak of the commercial rent market. Base years negotiated at peak occupancy and peak operating costs lock in a high baseline, which can result in undercharging tenants relative to the lease formula if subsequent years see lower costs. Conversely, base years set incorrectly — using a year of abnormally low occupancy or including non-recurring expenses — inflate the apparent escalation in subsequent years. CAMAudit checks the base year calculation against the formula in your lease.

How does CAMAudit handle Bellevue Eastside leases versus Seattle proper?

CAMAudit handles both markets. Bellevue and Eastside retail and office leases are predominantly NNN or modified gross structures, similar to Seattle proper. The detection rules are the same across both markets — the key variables are the specific provisions in your individual lease, which CAMAudit extracts from your uploaded documents.

What types of Seattle commercial leases does CAMAudit support?

CAMAudit supports all lease structures common in the Seattle market: NNN (common in Capitol Hill retail and Pioneer Square creative office), modified gross (common in South Lake Union and Eastlake tech office), full-service gross with base year (prevalent in Class A downtown and Bellevue office), and biotech campus structures in SLU. The 14 detection rules apply based on the lease type extracted from your documents.

CAM Audit for Seattle Commercial Tenants [2026]

Seattle's tech boom drove aggressive CAM billing across South Lake Union, Capitol Hill, Pioneer Square, and the Eastside. Leases signed at peak market between 2015 and 2019 are particularly prone to base year errors and management fee overcharges. Washington law gives you 6 years to recover. CAMAudit checks your reconciliation in under 15 minutes.

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Why CAM Audits Matter for Seattle Tenants

Seattle's commercial real estate market saw extraordinary growth between 2015 and 2019, driven by tech sector expansion in South Lake Union, Eastlake, Capitol Hill, and across the lake in Bellevue. Landlords in that environment managed CAM aggressively — and many built their billing systems and lease administration around practices that extracted maximum revenue from a captive tenant base.

Tech company tenants who signed 5-to-10-year leases at peak market often did so with base years negotiated at high occupancy levels. Base year errors — where the base is set using incorrect figures, or where subsequent escalations don't follow the lease formula — are one of the most common findings in Seattle office lease audits. Management fee overcharges are the other consistent pattern, particularly in SLU and Bellevue Class A properties.

CAMAudit checks all 14 overcharge categories against your actual lease — not market norms, not what seems reasonable, but the specific provisions your landlord agreed to — in under 15 minutes.

Washington Law Gives You 6 Years to Recover Overcharges

RCW 4.16.040 establishes a 6-year statute of limitations for written contract claims in Washington. For Seattle commercial tenants, this means CAM overcharges billed as far back as 2020 may still be recoverable — provided you take action before the limitations period expires.

Washington recognizes the discovery rule, which may toll the limitations period until you knew or reasonably should have known of the overcharge. For errors buried in complex reconciliation statements, this can extend the recovery window beyond the standard 6 years in some circumstances. Consult a Washington commercial attorney for older claims.

How CAMAudit Works

1
Upload your CAM reconciliation and lease
Upload your annual reconciliation statement and the relevant sections of your commercial lease. Supports PDF, images, and scanned documents.
2
AI extracts the key data
CAMAudit extracts expense line items, management fee cap, pro-rata share definition, base year figures, and CAM cap provisions from your documents.
3
14 detection rules run automatically
Each rule applies the formula from your lease to the reconciliation — base year errors, management fee caps, pro-rata share denominators, CAM growth limits, and more.
4
Unlock the full report and dispute letter
Unlock the full findings for $179: line-by-line breakdown of every overcharge and a dispute letter draft citing your lease clauses and Washington law.

Audit Your Seattle CAM Reconciliation

Upload your reconciliation and lease. Get findings in under 15 minutes. Free scan — full report for $179.

Run a free CAM scan

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Common Overcharge Types in the Seattle Market

Base year errors in SLU and Eastlake tech office leases signed 2015–2019
Leases signed at peak market between 2015 and 2019 set base years at high occupancy and high operating cost periods. When the base year figure is incorrectly established — or when the escalation formula is applied using a different base than the lease specifies — tenants can either overpay or underpay on subsequent year reconciliations. CAMAudit checks the base year arithmetic against the formula in your lease.
Management fee overcharges in South Lake Union and Bellevue Class A office
SLU and Bellevue Class A properties carry elevated management fee structures. The percentage cap in the lease and the base on which it is calculated both matter — when the fee is applied to a broader base than the lease permits (for example, including capital reserves or insurance in the fee base), the annual overcharge is material.
CAM cap violations at Capitol Hill and Pioneer Square retail
Capitol Hill restaurant and retail leases and Pioneer Square creative office leases frequently include annual controllable expense caps. These caps go unenforced when property management changes — a common event in both neighborhoods over the past decade as properties have traded ownership. CAMAudit checks controllable expense growth against your lease cap for each audit year.

Pricing

1 audit

$179

$179 per audit

3 audits

$499

$166 per audit

5 audits

$799

$160 per audit

Every audit includes the full detection report and a dispute letter draft. 30-day money-back guarantee. No account required to start.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions

Related Resources

Check Your Seattle CAM Charges

Washington gives you 6 years to recover overcharges back to 2020. Free scan — full report for $179.

Run a free CAM scan

See a sample report first

This page provides general educational information. It is not legal advice and may not reflect the most current law in your state. Consult a licensed attorney for advice specific to your situation.

CAM Audit for Seattle Commercial Tenants [2026]

Why CAM Audits Matter for Seattle Tenants

CAMAudit checks all 14 overcharge categories against your actual lease — not market norms, not what seems reasonable, but the specific provisions your landlord agreed to — in under 15 minutes.

Washington Law Gives You 6 Years to Recover Overcharges

How CAMAudit Works

Upload your CAM reconciliation and lease

Upload your annual reconciliation statement and the relevant sections of your commercial lease. Supports PDF, images, and scanned documents.

AI extracts the key data

CAMAudit extracts expense line items, management fee cap, pro-rata share definition, base year figures, and CAM cap provisions from your documents.

14 detection rules run automatically

Each rule applies the formula from your lease to the reconciliation — base year errors, management fee caps, pro-rata share denominators, CAM growth limits, and more.

Unlock the full report and dispute letter

Unlock the full findings for $179: line-by-line breakdown of every overcharge and a dispute letter draft citing your lease clauses and Washington law.

Common Overcharge Types in the Seattle Market

Base year errors in SLU and Eastlake tech office leases signed 2015–2019

Leases signed at peak market between 2015 and 2019 set base years at high occupancy and high operating cost periods. When the base year figure is incorrectly established — or when the escalation formula is applied using a different base than the lease specifies — tenants can either overpay or underpay on subsequent year reconciliations. CAMAudit checks the base year arithmetic against the formula in your lease.

Management fee overcharges in South Lake Union and Bellevue Class A office

SLU and Bellevue Class A properties carry elevated management fee structures. The percentage cap in the lease and the base on which it is calculated both matter — when the fee is applied to a broader base than the lease permits (for example, including capital reserves or insurance in the fee base), the annual overcharge is material.

CAM cap violations at Capitol Hill and Pioneer Square retail

Capitol Hill restaurant and retail leases and Pioneer Square creative office leases frequently include annual controllable expense caps. These caps go unenforced when property management changes — a common event in both neighborhoods over the past decade as properties have traded ownership. CAMAudit checks controllable expense growth against your lease cap for each audit year.

Frequently Asked Questions