# Common-area fee (CAM fee) (ค่าส่วนกลาง)

Source: https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/glossary/common-area-fee

**Definition:** The common-area fee, or CAM fee, is the recurring charge each condominium owner pays towards running the building: staff, security, lifts, pool, insurance and cleaning. It is set in baht per square metre of unit area per month and is often billed a year in advance.

Section 18 of the Condominium Act requires co-owners to share common expenses in proportion to their ownership ratio, and the rate is set by the co-owners at a general meeting. Payment is enforced firmly. Late payers face a surcharge of up to 12% a year, rising to up to 20% after six months, and can lose the use of facilities and their vote. A unit cannot be transferred until the juristic person certifies that nothing is owed.

For an investor the fee comes straight off rental income, so it belongs in any [net yield](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/glossary/net-yield) calculation. Rates vary widely with the level of service: branded and hotel-serviced buildings charge considerably more than a standard condominium.

Before buying, ask what the rate is, when it last changed, whether the building runs a surplus or a deficit, and how much other owners owe. A fee that looks low for the facilities on offer is often a rise waiting to happen.

Villa estates charge a similar fee, but usually under contract with the developer, not under the Act. See [rental yields in Thailand](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/rental-yields-in-thailand).