Core Concepts

What is Operating Expense Pass-Through?

The mechanism by which landlords recover building operating costs from tenants based on the lease structure and expense classification.

Definition

An operating expense pass-through is the mechanism by which landlords recover building operating costs from tenants. In NNN leases, substantially all operating expenses are passed through to tenants based on their pro-rata share. In gross or modified gross leases, only expenses exceeding an expense stop or base year amount are passed through. The accuracy of pass-through calculations — including correct expense classification, proper application of exclusions, and accurate pro-rata share computation — directly determines whether the landlord recovers what the lease entitles them to. Pass-through errors compound annually and can result in significant cumulative financial impact across a multi-tenant portfolio.

Validate Your CAM Reconciliations

CapVeri catches gross-up errors, cap violations, and billing mistakes before tenants or auditors find them — from your Yardi or MRI exports.

Start Free Audit