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Why does nobody talk about the hidden cost of Detroit commercial real estate leases

I was negotiating a lease for a 2,500 sq ft space in Corktown last month and found out the CAM fees were almost 40% of the base rent. Took me 3 weeks to get a clear breakdown from the landlord because they kept saying 'it's standard.' Has anyone else run into this where the extra charges made a space way more expensive than the sticker price on the listing?
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3 Comments
cole_flores44
The landlord is running a business, not a charity (shocking, right?). CAM fees cover real costs like snow removal, common area electricity, and property management, and those expenses have gone up just like everything else in Detroit. You're getting upset over a 40% add-on when some spaces in Midtown are pushing 60% or more on top of base rent, and the market still supports those rates. If the sticker price was misleading, that's on you for not asking about the full package upfront like a serious operator would. Everyone wants cheap rent until they realize the building's roof is leaking and the lot is full of potholes, then they complain about maintenance. Maybe instead of blaming the system, brush up on your lease negotiation skills and learn to budget for the whole deal instead of just the headline number.
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jamie804
jamie80412d ago
Nail on the head. If you can't handle the full numbers you're not ready for prime time.
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jamesf29
jamesf2912d ago
Yeah @jamie804 and I will just start PRINTING money for "snow removal" in July while tenants are sweating it out, makes total sense. I swear these landlords think "CAM" stands for "Come Again Money" because they never stop asking for more.
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