CoStar Lease CAM Reconciliation Setup Guide
How to configure CAM reconciliation, export data, and avoid common mistakes in CoStar Lease.
CAM Module
Operating Expense / CAM Clause Administration
Module Navigation
Navigate to Lease Administration from the CoStar platform menu. Select a property and then a lease to access the lease record. CAM provisions are managed in the Operating Expenses section of each lease record. Portfolio-level CAM obligation reporting is available under Reports > Lease Reports > Operating Expense Summary. CoStar Lease manages CAM through lease clause abstraction, not GL integration.
Recovery Pool Configuration
CoStar Lease does not use recovery pools. CAM obligations are captured during lease abstraction in the Operating Expenses section of each lease record. Abstract the following for each lease: expense recovery type (NNN, modified gross, gross with stop), recoverable expense categories with any exclusions, base year or expense stop amount, gross-up provision details, annual cap percentage and type, and reconciliation frequency. These abstracted terms define what each tenant owes — actual expense amounts come from your property management ERP or accounting system.
Charge Code Setup
CAM in CoStar Lease is tracked through the lease payment schedule under the Operating Expenses module. Add recurring payment items of type 'CAM Reimbursement' or 'Operating Expense Estimate' with the estimated monthly amount. CoStar Lease tracks scheduled payments, actual payments received, and variance from lease terms — but does not calculate CAM obligations from GL expense data. The lease record's abstracted provision terms are the reference for what tenants owe.
Export Procedure for CapVeri
Navigate to Reports > Lease Reports > Operating Expense Detail. Configure the report to include CAM provision fields: expense stop type and amount, gross-up provision, cap percentage, pro-rata share basis. Export to CSV or Excel. CoStar also provides a CAM Obligation Summary report that aggregates estimated annual CAM obligations across the portfolio — useful for cash flow forecasting but not for tenant statement generation. For CapVeri, pair the CoStar Lease provision export with a GL expense export from your ERP.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Assuming CoStar Lease can produce final CAM reconciliation statements — it tracks lease terms and payment obligations but cannot calculate reconciliation amounts from GL data independently
Not abstracting all CAM exclusion clauses from lease documents during lease entry, leading to overstated CAM obligations when excluded expenses are included
Entering pro-rata share as a fixed percentage rather than RSF and total leasable area, causing shares to become stale when building occupancy changes
Not setting up critical date alerts for CAM reconciliation deadlines and audit windows specified in each lease
Using CoStar market data square footage figures instead of lease-specific RSF for pro-rata calculations
How CoStar Lease Works with CapVeri
Export the Operating Expense Detail report from CoStar Lease as CSV to capture abstracted CAM provision terms. Export actual GL expenses from your ERP (Yardi, MRI, Sage Intacct, etc.) separately. Upload both files to CapVeri: the CoStar Lease export provides lease-level CAM terms (stops, caps, exclusions, gross-up), and the ERP export provides actual costs. CapVeri applies the lease terms to the actual costs to calculate reconciled tenant obligations and generate statements.
About CoStar Lease
CoStar Lease is the lease administration component of the CoStar commercial real estate intelligence platform. Its primary value is integrating lease administration with CoStar's market data, property research, and portfolio analytics — not as a standalone property management or CAM reconciliation system. Used by institutional landlords, asset managers, and corporate tenants who already subscribe to CoStar for market intelligence and want lease administration on the same platform. For CAM reconciliation, CoStar Lease functions as a provision repository that must be paired with a GL data source.
Troubleshooting Common CoStar Lease Issues
How do I use CoStar Lease for CAM reconciliation without a built-in GL integration?
CoStar Lease is a lease provision repository, not a GL-connected reconciliation engine. Use it as the source of CAM terms (base year, cap, exclusions, gross-up) and pull actual GL expenses from your accounting system. Export both datasets and upload to CapVeri, which applies the CoStar Lease provision terms to your GL actuals to produce reconciliation calculations and tenant statements. This two-source workflow is the standard approach for CoStar Lease customers who need formal CAM reconciliation output.
CoStar Lease shows a different pro-rata share than our reconciliation — which is correct?
Check whether CoStar Lease is using a fixed pro-rata percentage or an RSF-based calculation. If the lease RSF or building total leasable area has changed since the lease was first abstracted, the percentage may be outdated. Verify: (1) the tenant's RSF per the signed lease and any amendments; (2) the building's total leasable area (verify the denominator against the lease — some leases use occupied area, others use total leasable area regardless of vacancy); and (3) whether any co-tenancy or major tenant exclusions affect the denominator. The signed lease controls — update CoStar Lease to reflect current lease terms.
Related Resources
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