Periodic exterior and interior cleaning of common area glass surfaces including lobby windows, storefronts, and shared glass elements.
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: 1-3% of total CAM pool.
Window washing in commercial leases covers the periodic cleaning of common area glass surfaces: lobby windows, building exterior glass, storefront windows in multi-tenant retail centers, and shared glass atrium elements. The expense is classified as controllable because the landlord controls the frequency and vendor selection. Most leases do not specify a mandatory cleaning schedule, which means landlords have discretion to set frequency, but that discretion is bounded by the controllable expense cap. Disputes most often arise when landlords inflate billing frequency beyond what is reasonable for the property class, bundle capital equipment purchases into service invoices, or include glass replacement work. The distinction between a cleaning service and a capital improvement is critical: replacing a broken pane or repairing a window frame extends the useful life of a building component and must be classified and amortized separately. Tenants with access to prior-year reconciliations should track window washing costs annually and verify frequency against invoices.
Overcharge Risk
$600-$4,000/year
typical annual overcharge when this line item is disputed
Landlords bill for purchase of high-rise window washing rigs and equipment rather than the service fees, passing capital equipment costs through as operating 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 |
|---|---|
| Annual exterior window wash billed at market service rates | Monthly window washing billings on a lease that has no specified frequency requirement |
| Cleaning service invoices with per-visit line items and no equipment charges | Scaffold system or rope-access equipment purchase buried inside a window washing invoice |
| Common area glass cleaning only | Window washing invoices that list individual tenant suite numbers |
| Year-over-year costs within the controllable expense cap | Window washing costs growing 15%+ annually on a lease with a 5% CAM cap |
Cap the annual frequency of window washings per the lease or industry standard (typically 1-4 times per year depending on location). Challenge any equipment purchase or glass replacement bundled under window washing. Charges must reflect service fees only, not capital equipment.
Check Your Window Washing Charges
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