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CAMAudit

Forensic CAM audit software for commercial tenants. Find the money you're owed.

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Recovery of past CAM overcharges depends on your specific lease terms, including any audit rights deadlines or ‘binding and conclusive’ provisions, and on applicable state law. State statute of limitations periods apply to written contracts and range from 3 to 10 years; your actual lookback window may be shorter based on your lease. CAMAudit is a document analysis platform, not a law firm, and nothing on this site constitutes legal advice. Consult a licensed real estate attorney before initiating any dispute or legal proceeding.

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  4. /An anchor tenant left and my CAM charges spiked
Something Just Happened

An anchor tenant left and my CAM charges spiked

When an anchor tenant vacates, your CAM charges can spike for two distinct reasons: the denominator shrinks (raising your pro-rata share) and the landlord may gross up variable expenses as if the building were fully occupied. Both manipulations can be checked and challenged. CAMAudit runs both Rule 4 and Rule 5 to isolate each source of the increase.

TL;DR

Not auditing means you subsidize the landlord during their vacancy period; auditing can recover overpayments and establish a corrected baseline that protects you for every remaining year of your lease.

Who this is for

Tenants in a shopping center or multi-tenant building where a major anchor or large tenant recently vacated, resulting in noticeably higher CAM charges even though the building is now partly empty.

Who this is not for

Tenants whose lease explicitly permits the landlord to maintain CAM charges at a fully-occupied-building level when vacancy occurs, or tenants on a fixed CAM structure unaffected by occupancy changes.

What CAMAudit Checks in This Scenario

Rule 4

Pro-Rata Share Error

CAMAudit verifies whether the denominator used in your pro-rata calculation now excludes the departed anchor tenant space and whether your lease permits that exclusion.

Rule 5

Gross-Up Violation

The scan checks whether the landlord is grossing up variable operating expenses to a 95 or 100 percent occupancy level that the actual building occupancy no longer justifies.

What to Do Next

  1. 1Confirm the anchor tenant vacated and note the approximate date, then compare that to your reconciliation period.
  2. 2Check your lease to see whether it permits the landlord to adjust the CAM denominator when a major tenant leaves.
  3. 3Review the gross-up clause in your lease, noting the permitted occupancy assumption (typically 95 percent) and whether it requires actual occupancy to be below that threshold.
  4. 4Upload your reconciliation and lease to CAMAudit to test both the pro-rata and gross-up rules simultaneously.
  5. 5Document the discrepancy between actual building occupancy and the occupancy level assumed in the CAM pool calculation.
  6. 6Send a dispute letter referencing both the pro-rata error and the gross-up violation as separate grounds for correction.
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Run a Free CAM Audit Scan

Upload two PDFs. 13 detection rules. Under 5 minutes. Free.

Find My OverchargesSee a sample report first

Next Best Step

Choose your next move

Scenario pages should bridge from diagnosis into the dispute path and audit proof.

What is a CAM audit?

Use the audit process if you still need to validate the billing error.

See the CAM dispute guide

Use the dispute playbook if the issue is already active.

Start Free Audit

Run the free audit once you are ready to quantify the overcharge.

Ready to skip the reading and document the overcharge directly?

Find My Overcharges

Relevant Tenant Types

Retail StoreRestaurantSalon Spa

Related Scenarios

My CAM reconciliation just went up 30% or more year over yearMy landlord is charging me for roof replacement in CAMMy management fee exceeds the cap in my leaseMy pro-rata share calculation doesn't match my lease termsMy landlord won't provide CAM backup documentation

Related Resources

ResourcesCAM Overcharge Detection GuidesToolsFree CAM Audit ToolsResourcesLease Types and CAM StructuresGlossaryCAM Glossary

Frequently asked questions

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.