Common area maintenance charges or CAM charges are costs passed on to some commercial tenants by landlords as additional rent. Each tenant in these buildings pay their pro rata share of total CAM charges which is based upon each tenant's rented square footage of the total square footage. The costs included by landlords may differ but usually include real estate taxes, property insurance, management fees, repairs and building maintenance, electricity, water, security, cleaning, supplies, and landscape maintenance. Common area maintenance charges mayor may not be capped.

Some landlords offer leases with CAM charges, others do not. Those that don't include CAM charges usually include an annual cost of living increase that mayor may not be capped.