Operating Expenses (OpEx) represent the ongoing costs required to run and maintain the common areas of a commercial property. These expenses include real estate taxes, insurance, landscaping, snow removal, janitorial services, utilities, general repairs, and other essential services that support daily operations.
These costs are billed to tenants based on their lease structure and pro-rata share. STRATAFOLIO allows you to enter OpEx/CAM amounts per lease, track them annually, and clone them forward each year to streamline your annual budgeting cycle.
Many users confuse Operating Expenses (OpEx) and Common Area Maintenance (CAM), thinking they are separate concepts or interchangeable terms. However, in practice, CAM is simply one part of OpEx, and STRATAFOLIO uses OpEx as the broader framework that includes CAM.
OpEx represents the full set of expenses required to operate and maintain a commercial property. Within that structure, CAM refers specifically to the maintenance and operational costs of shared areas. In other words, CAM is a key component of OpEx, but not the entire picture.
CAM on its own does not include insurance or real estate taxes. In a traditional NNN structure, the three components are:
- Taxes
- Insurance
- CAM
Together, these three categories make up the full NNN charges billed to tenants, with CAM representing only one of the three parts.
CAM charges are shared by tenants based on their proportionate or pro-rata share of the property, as defined in their lease.
What is Cloning in STRATAFOLIO?
Cloning in STRATAFOLIO is the process of copying an existing Operating Expense (OpEx) period, including CAM subcategories, from one period to the next.
This ensures every lease has a complete OpEx/CAM setup for the upcoming billing cycle.
Cloning:
- Duplicates all OpEx and CAM categories that already exist in the lease
- Carries forward billing amounts, structures, and prorated allocations
- Allows you to optionally apply increases (percentage or flat-dollar) during the cloning step
- Automatically creates the next period using the same structure as the period you selected
Because CAM (Common Area Maintenance) is part of OpEx, cloning ensures your CAM structure and values continue seamlessly into the new year.
Why Cloning is Important
Cloning OpEx ensures the next year begins with:
- A complete and accurate set of OpEx categories already created
- Previous or updated values carried forward for budgeting
- A consistent structure for OpEx or CAM billing
- Smooth alignment between billing and reconciliation
- Stable cash flow for owners and tenants
If OpEx is not cloned:
- Invoices will not generate accurately. There will be no OpEx on the invoice
- Tenants may be under-billed or over-billed
- Cash flow becomes unpredictable
- Year-end reconciliations become less accurate
Cloning is a required annual step to support accurate OpEx or CAM billing and reconciliation.
When to Clone OpEx
Cloning should be done:
- After the prior year’s CAM reconciliation is complete
- Before generating the first invoice of the new OpEx period or calendar year
- As part of your annual budgeting workflow
This ensures OpEx estimates for the new period are based on the most recent year’s performance.
Cash Flow Impact
OpEx amounts determine what is billed to tenants monthly.
If they are not updated:
- Tenants may underpay throughout the year
- Owners may need to cover unreimbursed expenses
- CAM reconciliations may show large variances
- Tenant disputes and cash flow inconsistencies may increase
Accurate cloning supports accurate billing, better forecasting, and smoother tenant communication.
Step-by-Step Process on How to Clone CAM/OpEx Periods
Step 1: Navigate to the Operating Expenses Index View
From the left-hand navigation panel, go to:
Operations → Operating Expenses
This opens the Operating Expenses Index View, where you can review all leases with existing OpEx periods.
Step 2: Identify the Lease(s) That Need a New OpEx Period
There are two ways to find the correct leases:
Option A — Use the OpEx Status Filter (Recommended)
- At the top of the Operating Expenses table view, open the dropdown labeled OpEx Status.
- Choose Missing Next OpEx Period.
- This automatically filters to any lease that requires a new OpEx/CAM period.
- Review the list and check the box next to the lease(s) you want to clone.
Option B — Manually Filter by Date or Tenant
Select the checkbox next to the lease(s) you want to clone.
Use the filters at the top for Organization, Entity, Asset, Tenant, or Units to find the relevant lease.
Adjust the OpEx Date filter, if needed, to a date that the OpEx is in to clone over.
Step 3: Clone Selected OpEx
Click Clone Selected OpEx.
A confirmation window will appear.
If STRATAFOLIO detects issues:
- A pop-up will appear showing the error list. The clone button will not be clickable.
- Click the Download Errors button to export an Excel file.
- Review the explanation for each error.
- Correct the issues in the lease’s OpEx tab (or lease details).
- Attempt the clone again.
Only after errors are resolved will the Clone button be clickable.
Step 4: Update OpEx Amounts
Once cloning is possible, you will see the cloning pop up with adjustment options:
You may increase OpEx amounts in one of two ways:
A) Increase by Percentage
- Apply a % increase to any of the four categories:
- CAM
- Insurance
- Taxes
- Other Expenses
- Subcategories under each will also adjust automatically.
B) Increase by Amount
- Add a dollar increase (ex: $300/month) to any category.
- Again, subcategories update automatically.
⚠️ You may choose either a percentage OR a dollar amount per category, not both.
If you leave a field blank, STRATAFOLIO keeps the same amount from the previous period. The amounts can be updated at a later date, and you can still proceed with the cloning process.
Review the entries then click the Clone button to proceed with cloning.
Step 5: Verify the Newly Cloned OpEx Period
After completing the cloning process, you must verify that the new OpEx period was created correctly in the lease.
STRATAFOLIO provides a quick way to jump directly into the lease’s OpEx tab using the ellipse (three dots) menu.
1. Use the Ellipse (⋯) to Open the Lease’s OpEx Tab
On the Operating Expenses view:
- Locate the lease you just cloned.
- Click the ellipse (…) on the far-left of the row.
- Select View OpEx to open the OpEx tab for that specific lease.
2. Review the Newly Created Period
In the OpEx tab of the lease, verify that:
- The new OpEx period has been added
- The dates of the cloned period match the prior period’s length
- All subcategories were included in the cloning
- Any percentage or flat-dollar increases (if used) are reflected
- Amounts being invoiced to the tenant are correct
Important Note About Period Length
Cloning always creates a new OpEx period that matches the number of months in the prior period.
- If the previous period was a full year, the cloned period will also span a full year.
- If the previous period covered only part of a year (e.g., a new tenant mid-year), the cloned period will be cloned for the same number of months in the previous period
Step 6: Confirm the OpEx Period
Return to Operations → Operating Expenses.
Locate the newly cloned lease(s).
Select the checkbox and click Confirm Lease OpEx to finalize the OpEx period.
Checklist for Cloning
Before Cloning
- Confirm the existing OpEx period is accurate
- Ensure all subcategories are entered
- Verify the lease terms are correct
- Prepare budgets for the new year if possible
After Cloning
- New OpEx period appears in the lease
- Dates are accurate
- Lease term extended if needed
- All subcategories cloned properly
- New OpEx amounts updated per the budget if not done during the cloning process
- New year’s invoices scheduled as expected
Additional Steps
- Alert tenants about any increases for the following period
Best Practices
- Confirm the Current OpEx Period Is Accurate Before Cloning
- Verify the current OpEx period dates.
- Include all expected categories (CAM, taxes, insurance, etc.).
- Add and correctly assign all necessary subcategories.
- Generate and collect the tenant’s invoices for the period.
- Reflect any special rules accurately (admin fees, exclusions, allocations, etc.).
- Use Filters to Control What You Clone
- Use the new drop down feature to select the missing next OpEx period to see which leases need the OpEx cloned
- Filter by OpEx Date to select only the period you want to clone
- Use Organization, Entity, or Asset filters for bulk cloning
- Validate the list before selecting “Clone Selected OpEx”
- Resolve Errors Immediately
- Download the error report
- Review the explanation for each flagged lease
- Correct the issue in the lease or OpEx tab
- Attempt the cloning operation again
- Keep an Annual Cloning Routine
- Clone OpEx periods in bulk once per year before invoicing for the new period
- Make any annual rate increases immediately after cloning or during the cloning process
- Ensure newly cloned periods align with each lease’s term end
- Maintain Clean Records for Future Reconciliations
- To avoid issues later:
- Keep subcategories consistent across years and integrations when possible
- Avoid removing subcategories unless absolutely necessary
- Confirm invoice generation for each new period
- Audit cloned amounts before year-end reconciliation season
- To avoid issues later:
