Search for CAM audit software and you get a mix of tools that do very different jobs: some keep your lease records, some help landlords produce the bill, some check the bill, and a few go and get the money back. They are easy to confuse, and buying the wrong kind is an expensive way to discover the difference.
This guide sorts them into four kinds, then gives you nine questions to put to any vendor, including us.
- Lease administration platforms keep the record. Landlord tools produce the bill. Neither is built to challenge it.
- Tenant-side audit tools find overcharges; check who sends the dispute and who chases the landlord.
- If the goal is money back across many locations, look for audit and recovery in one place, priced on results.
The four kinds of CAM software
1Lease administration and accounting platforms
The system of record for a portfolio: lease abstracts, critical dates, payment schedules and lease accounting. Some include modules for checking expense statements against lease terms. Buy one if you need the record and the reporting; do not assume it will recover anything on its own.
2Landlord-side reconciliation tools
Built for owners and property managers to calculate and issue reconciliations. Useful to know about, because your landlord probably uses one. Software that produces a bill consistently does not make the bill match your lease, especially when shares, caps and exclusions were negotiated lease by lease.
3Tenant-side audit tools
A newer category: tools that read your lease, extract the terms and flag lines on the statement that break them. The good ones show the clause and the math. The question to ask is what happens after the report: in many setups the letter, the follow-up and the deadline are still yours.
4Audit and recovery agents
This is the kind Tenantback is. It audits every reconciliation against the lease, then does the part that actually returns money: drafts the dispute for your approval, sends it, reads and answers the landlord's replies, tracks the window and records the credit when it lands. Pricing follows the outcome: 25% of what is recovered on the Recovery plan, nothing if nothing is found.
Nine questions to ask any vendor
Put these to every tool on your list. Our own answers are in the last column, so you can hold us to them.
| Question | Why it matters | Tenantback |
|---|---|---|
| Who does the math? | Models slip on chained percentages | Code computes every dollar; the model only reads |
| Are quotes verified? | A misquoted clause sinks a dispute | Every quote is checked against the source page |
| Are amendments applied? | The latest amendment controls | Yes; each term cites the lease or amendment it comes from |
| Who sends the dispute? | A report recovers nothing | Tenantback, after you approve the letter |
| Who answers the landlord? | Pushback is where claims stall | Tenantback reads replies, rebuts and escalates |
| Are deadlines tracked? | A missed window usually ends the claim | Every window is a dated task with a calendar feed |
| Does my team have to log in? | Tools nobody opens do not get used | No; email, ChatGPT, Claude or the app |
| What does it cost if nothing is found? | Tells you who carries the risk | Nothing on the Recovery plan |
| Can I see a real output first? | Demos are easy; reports are proof | Yes: our sample report, or a free audit of your own |
Which kind fits your portfolio
- One or two locations: you may not need software at all. Our guide on using ChatGPT or Claude to audit CAM charges covers the method.
- A growing portfolio with no lease system: a lease administration platform for the record, plus an audit and recovery agent for the money.
- Many locations and a small finance team: this is where Tenantback shines the most. Statements are audited as they arrive, disputes go out with your approval, and nobody has to remember a single deadline.
Comparing against a traditional firm instead? See six alternatives to a lease audit firm.
Questions
What is CAM audit software?
Software that checks a landlord's common area maintenance (CAM) reconciliation against the lease: the pro-rata share, caps, admin fees, excluded costs and arithmetic. Some tools only flag issues; others also handle the dispute and the follow-up.
Is lease administration software the same as CAM audit software?
Not usually. Lease administration software keeps the lease record, critical dates and accounting. Some platforms include expense review features, but recovering overcharges usually still takes a dispute and follow-up with the landlord.
How is Tenantback priced?
Audits are free. The Recovery plan takes 25% of money actually recovered and nothing otherwise. The Portfolio plan is $49 per location per month plus 12% of recoveries, with critical date management, a portfolio copilot and API access.
