Maintenance and operation of shared delivery receiving areas, package rooms, and mail handling facilities in common areas, including staffing, equipment, and security.
Key Takeaways
| Lease Type | Recoverable? | Controllable? |
|---|---|---|
| NNN | Yes | Yes |
| Modified Gross | Yes | Yes |
| Full-Service Gross | No | Yes |
CapEx Risk: This line item is commonly used to disguise capital expenditures as operating expenses. Verify all invoices against GAAP standards.
Approximate budget share: 0.3-1% of total CAM pool.
Delivery and package handling area maintenance covers the operation and upkeep of shared receiving facilities in commercial properties. As e-commerce delivery volumes have increased, many landlords have invested in dedicated package rooms, smart locker systems, and staffed receiving areas as tenant amenities. Legitimate operating costs include staffing for package intake and distribution, cleaning and maintenance of the receiving area, software subscription fees for package tracking systems on already-installed hardware, and supplies. The dispute risk is significant because package handling infrastructure is a relatively new category in commercial real estate. The build-out of a dedicated package room, purchase and installation of smart locker systems, and construction of receiving facilities are capital improvements that increase the property's value and attract tenants. These costs must be capitalized and amortized, not expensed through CAM in a single year. Many existing leases predate the rise of package handling as a building service and may not explicitly authorize the pass-through of these costs. Tenants should verify that their lease permits package handling charges and challenge any cost that includes the original build-out or equipment purchase.
Overcharge Risk
$500-$5,000/year
typical annual overcharge when this line item is disputed
Landlords build out a new package room or delivery management system as an amenity to attract tenants and pass the full build-out and technology costs through CAM as "package handling maintenance."
This line item is commonly used to disguise capital expenditures as operating expenses. Capital expenditures must be excluded from CAM or amortized over their useful life per GAAP. If you see unusually high or one-time charges in this category, request all invoices and scope-of-work documentation before paying.
| Legitimate Charge | Suspicious Charge |
|---|---|
| Monthly staffing costs for a package room attendant at a reasonable rate for the building size | Package locker hardware and installation billed as "package handling maintenance" |
| Annual software subscription for an existing package tracking system | New delivery management system purchase and implementation expensed in one CAM year |
| Cleaning and supply costs for the established receiving area | Package room construction costs appearing as "amenity maintenance" in the first year |
Request vendor invoices that separate ongoing operating costs (staffing, supplies, cleaning) from the build-out and equipment costs of the package handling facility. Package locker systems and mail room construction are capital assets. Only ongoing operations are CAM-recoverable.
Check Your Delivery / Package Handling Area Charges
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