Can the landlord charge me for cleaning vacant suites through CAM?

No. Cleaning costs for vacant suites benefit only the landlord and should be excluded from the common area maintenance pool. Your pro-rata CAM share is based on the costs to maintain areas shared by all tenants — not to ready vacant space for prospective tenants. Challenge any cleaning invoice that references vacant suites or exceeds the actual common area SF.

How do I verify janitorial charges are reasonable?

Request the cleaning contract, invoices, and scope of work. Verify the cleaned SF matches the actual common area dimensions. Compare the per-SF rate to market rates. Landlords should competitively bid janitorial contracts — if the same vendor has been used for years at above-market rates, that is grounds for dispute.

Can the landlord charge me for cleaning vacant suites through CAM?

No. Cleaning costs for vacant suites benefit only the landlord and should be excluded from the common area maintenance pool. Your pro-rata CAM share is based on the costs to maintain areas shared by all tenants — not to ready vacant space for prospective tenants. Challenge any cleaning invoice that references vacant suites or exceeds the actual common area SF.

How do I verify janitorial charges are reasonable?

Request the cleaning contract, invoices, and scope of work. Verify the cleaned SF matches the actual common area dimensions. Compare the per-SF rate to market rates. Landlords should competitively bid janitorial contracts — if the same vendor has been used for years at above-market rates, that is grounds for dispute.

Janitorial / Cleaning Services: CAM Line Item Audit Guide

Routine cleaning of common lobbies, restrooms, corridors, and shared spaces including trash collection and supply replenishment.

Recoverability & Controllability by Lease Type

Lease Type	Recoverable?	Controllable?
NNN	Yes	Yes
Modified Gross	Yes	Yes
Full-Service Gross	No	Yes

Approximate budget share: 8-12% of total CAM pool.

Common Abuse Patterns

Landlords bill the cost of cleaning vacant suites to the CAM pool, charging all occupied tenants for empty space maintenance. Cleaning frequency is also overstated.

Red Flags to Watch

Cleaning area square footage does not match the actual common area SF
Invoices for vacant suite cleaning absorbed into common area costs
Cleaning vendor is related to the landlord (no competitive bidding)
Costs increase significantly without a corresponding increase in occupied GLA

Your Right to Dispute

Audit the cleaning contract against actual common area square footage. Demand proof that vacant suite cleaning is excluded from the CAM pool. Verify the per-square-foot cleaning rate is consistent with market rates obtained through competitive bidding.

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Related Resources

GlossaryCAM Glossary GlossaryControllable Expenses ResourcesCAM Audit by State ToolsFree CAM Audit Tools

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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.