The cost of clearing snow and treating ice on parking lots, sidewalks, building entrances, and other common areas during winter months. Snow removal is a seasonal CAM expense that can vary significantly from year to year depending on weather.
Snow and ice removal encompasses plowing, shoveling, salting, sanding, and de-icing of all common area surfaces accessible to tenants and visitors. Landlords typically contract with snow removal vendors on either a per-event, seasonal flat-fee, or time-and-materials basis. Lease language may specify whether this expense is subject to controllable expense caps or treated as uncontrollable due to weather variability.
A landlord contracted snow removal on a per-event basis at $3,200 per push but billed tenants using a seasonal estimate of $48,000 regardless of actual snowfall. In a mild winter with only six events ($19,200 actual), the landlord pocketed the $28,800 difference without issuing a credit.
Compare the snow removal charge against actual weather data for your area. If your landlord uses a per-event contract, request the event log showing dates and amounts. If costs seem high for a mild winter, the landlord may be billing estimates rather than actuals.
Worried about snow & ice removal in your lease?
Need to extract lease terms before your audit?
A CAM audit is only as accurate as your lease data. lextract.io extracts 126 structured fields from any commercial lease PDF: CAM definitions, pro-rata share, caps, base year, and audit rights. So you have the exact terms your landlord is supposed to follow.
Go to lextract.ioUpload two PDFs. 14 detection rules. Under 15 minutes. Free.
Find My OverchargesThis 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.
