A CAM audit is a formal review of a landlord's CAM reconciliation statement to verify that charges are accurate, properly calculated, and consistent with the lease. The audit compares the statement line items against the lease's expense definition, pro-rata share formula, gross-up provision, and any caps.

How long does a CAM audit take?

With CAMAudit, a full forensic audit runs inside the partner workflow. Traditional CPA-led audits take 4 to 8 weeks and require scheduling, document collection, and manual review. The speed advantage of CAMAudit comes from automating the extraction and detection steps.

What documents do I need for a CAM audit?

You need your commercial lease (including all addenda and exhibits) and your CAM reconciliation statement from your landlord. The reconciliation is usually sent annually, within 90 to 120 days after the close of the lease year. If you haven't received it yet, request it in writing.

What does a CAM audit actually check?

CAMAudit checks CAM review categories: management fee overcharge, pro-rata share error, gross-up violation, CAM cap violation, base year error, controllable expense cap overcharge, estimated payment true-up error, gross lease charges, excluded service charges, insurance overcharge, tax overallocation, utility overcharge, common area misclassification, and landlord overhead pass-through.

Do I need an attorney to dispute CAM charges?

Not necessarily. CAMAudit generates a correction package grounded in your specific findings and lease language. Many tenants resolve CAM issues with a factual correction request. For large disputes, adversarial landlords, or any formal posture, involve a commercial real estate attorney before the client acts.

CAMAudit vs. Traditional CAM Auditors

Traditional CAM auditors still matter. They know lease language. They can inspect records. They can press a dispute when a landlord pushes back.

CAMAudit serves a different job. It helps partner firms review more client files before they decide which ones need a full audit, legal review, or negotiation.

I built CAMAudit so firms like yours can run forensic-grade CAM audits at software speed. The goal is simple: protect per-engagement margin and keep more small-dollar leases inside the service model.

This guide compares both paths for partner firms that serve commercial NNN lease tenants.

40% of CAM reconciliations contain material errors (Tango Analytics via PredictAP, 2023)

What traditional CAM auditors do

Traditional auditors are usually CRE specialists, attorneys, former property managers, or lease audit firms. They review the lease and CAM reconciliation by hand.

The work often includes:

Document collection. The client or advisor gathers the lease, amendments, CAM statements, and landlord backup. General ledger records can take time to obtain. Audit rights control what can be requested and when.

Lease interpretation. The auditor reads the clauses for CAM, exclusions, caps, pro-rata share, gross-up, base year, and management fee limits. This is where human judgment has real value.

Ledger review. The auditor compares billed charges with landlord backup when those records are available. This can reveal charges that are hidden inside broader account lines.

Dispute support. If the review finds an issue, the auditor may draft the dispute and negotiate with the landlord. Some matters also need counsel.

Delivery. The client gets a report with findings, backup, and recovery amounts. Timing depends on document access, lease scope, and landlord response.

Pricing. Many traditional auditors use an upfront fee, a contingency fee, or both. The model can work well for larger claims. It can be hard to fit smaller client files.

How CAMAudit works

CAMAudit is the branded review engine behind a partner firm. The partner stays the auditor. CAMAudit organizes the file and flags issues for review.

Intake. A partner routes client lease and CAM materials into the workflow. CAMAudit works from the documents the partner has. It does not replace a general ledger request when the file needs one.

Extraction. The system extracts lease terms, CAM charges, and reconciliation line items with AI-assisted extraction. The partner can review the source text behind each finding.

Detection. CAMAudit runs the audit rules against the extracted data.

Math rules, including management fee, pro-rata share, gross-up, CAM cap, and base year checks, use deterministic code.
Classification rules flag charges that may conflict with the lease, such as excluded services, insurance, tax, utility, overhead, and common area issues.

Report and correction draft. CAMAudit prepares a findings report and a correction draft grounded in the audit record. The partner reviews, edits, and signs before anything goes to the client or landlord.

Timing. Turnaround depends on file size, document quality, and review depth. The product is built for fast partner screening, not a fixed public time promise.

Pricing. CAMAudit uses partner pricing. There is no contingency fee on the client's recovery.

Head-to-head comparison

	Traditional CAM auditor	CAMAudit
Best fit	High-value claims, complex records, litigation risk	Partner-led screening, repeat review, smaller client files
Cost model	Upfront fee, contingency fee, or both	Partner pricing with no recovery share
Turnaround	Depends on document access and auditor scope	Depends on file size, OCR quality, and partner review
Detection method	Manual lease and record review	Deterministic math plus AI-assisted classification
Correction draft	Written by the auditor or counsel	Drafted from findings for partner review
Ledger depth	Can review full landlord backup when obtained	Works from provided lease and statement files
Professional role	Auditor may lead the dispute	Partner reviews, signs, and decides escalation

Where the economics differ

Traditional audit economics favor larger claims. A lease with a large CAM spend can support manual review, record requests, and negotiation time.

Smaller leases are harder. The recovery may be real, but the work can still be hard to price. That leaves many partners with a choice: decline the file, review it at low margin, or only help when the claim is large.

CAMAudit gives partners a screening layer. A firm can check more client files, document the findings, and reserve senior review time for matters with stronger recovery signals.

This is not a knock on traditional auditors. It is a routing decision. Use software to sort the book of business. Bring in a specialist when the file needs deeper record access, testimony, or negotiation.

"I built CAMAudit so partner firms can review more CAM files without turning every small lease into a custom project. The partner stays in judgment. The software makes the evidence faster to organize." - Angel Campa, Founder of CAMAudit

What traditional auditors do better

Human auditors handle work that software should not own.

Complex disputes. Arbitration, litigation, or formal negotiation needs a human expert. CAMAudit can help prepare the record. It does not represent the client.

Unusual lease language. Side letters, custom exclusions, and uncommon pro-rata methods need careful interpretation. CAMAudit flags common issue patterns. It does not replace professional judgment.

General ledger forensics. CAMAudit works from the files provided by the partner. A traditional auditor can request and review full landlord backup when the lease allows it.

Negotiation. Some auditors manage the landlord exchange directly. Software does not do that work.

Who should use each option

Use CAMAudit when a partner firm wants to:

Screen more client files during reconciliation season
Serve smaller CAM matters without breaking margin
Build a review packet before deciding whether to escalate
Give clients a branded report with clause and statement support
Keep the partner's review-and-sign step in the workflow

Use a traditional auditor when the matter needs:

Full landlord ledger review
Expert testimony or formal dispute support
Complex lease interpretation
Direct negotiation with the landlord
A larger claim that supports custom audit time

Many partner firms can use both. CAMAudit handles the first review. A traditional auditor or counsel handles the files that need deeper work.

See partner pricing or book a partner walkthrough to review the workflow.

Frequently asked questions

Does CAMAudit replace a traditional auditor for complex disputes?

No. CAMAudit helps identify and document overcharges. Complex negotiation, arbitration, and litigation still need a human auditor, attorney, or both.

What documents does a partner need for CAMAudit review?

A partner usually needs the lease, CAM amendments, and the landlord's CAM reconciliation statement. The system can work without landlord ledger backup, but some files still need that deeper record review.

What is a contingency fee and why does it matter?

A contingency fee gives the auditor a share of the recovered amount. That can fit large claims. It can make smaller claims hard to serve at a profit.

Can partners use CAMAudit for triple-net lease matters?

Yes. Triple-net leases are a common setting for CAM review because tenants pay operating expenses through the lease. CAMAudit supports NNN lease review inside a partner-led workflow.