Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a Lease Audit take?A lease audit may be completed in as little as two months, or as long as two years. We find that the most time-consuming element of the lease audit is simply getting the invoices and documentation from the client and/or landlord. Final resolution can also vary depending on the size of the recovery and complexity of issues.
Does a Tenant have the Right to Audit their Lease?
Some leases explicitly grant the tenant audit rights to review the landlord’s books and records. This explicit audit right language may limit when a tenant can audit the landlord’s records, or may limit who can audit the landlord’s records.
Some leases are silent in regards to the tenant’s audit rights. Landlords will at times assert that this means that the tenant has no right to audit. However, tenants have a basic contract right to ensure that they have been billed properly.
How will this affect my relationship with my landlord?
RBJ is careful to preserve the landlord/tenant relationship by only pursuing clear cut issues that can be well documented. Our claims are approved by the client before they go out to the landlord, and negotiations are handled in a professional manner. Furthermore, lease audits have become common, so most landlords see them as a normal part of doing business.
Won't this take a lot of my time?
No. RBJ makes every effort to minimize the time demands on our Clients. Most of the time will be getting the initial information to RBJ.
What is RBJ's fee schedule?
RBJ has worked for our clients on a fee basis, a contingency basis, and a combination of fee and contingency. RBJ works with the client to determine the best arrangement depending on the client's goals, the size of the portfolio under review, etc. The contingency basis is by far the most popular choice. This means that there is no charge for RBJ’s service unless we obtain a recovery on your behalf.
Who are RBJ's clients?
RBJ has audited over 20 million square feet of commercial property. Our clients include retail, office and industrial tenants. We have worked with single-site tenants, and corporations with over 7,000 locations. Please visit the Clients Page for a partial list of our clients.