If you’re a tenant nearing the end of your commercial lease, you may find yourself facing a schedule of dilapidations—a document detailing the repairs your landlord expects you to undertake to restore the property to its pre-lease condition. This can be daunting, particularly if the claim is overinflated or covers repairs that are beyond what you’re actually responsible for. Employing a dilapidations surveyor can be a valuable step to protect yourself from unnecessary costs and ensure your repair liability is fair.

How a Schedule of Condition Can Help Reduce Your Repair Liability

One of the most effective ways to limit your liability for dilapidations is to have a Schedule of Condition in place at the beginning of your lease. This document records the exact state of the property when you first take it on, including detailed descriptions and photographs of any existing damage or wear.

• Why is this important? Without a Schedule of Condition, the landlord could claim for repairs that address wear and tear or damage that existed before you even moved in. A well-prepared Schedule of Condition, attached to the lease and referenced in the repair covenants, serves as evidence to limit your obligations to maintaining the property only in the state it was when you began your tenancy—rather than restoring it to an idealised condition.
• A well-worded repair covenant that cites the Schedule of Condition is crucial. This ensures that your repair obligations are limited to what’s fair and reasonable, based on the property’s original condition. The lease should explicitly tie your responsibilities to the agreed Schedule of Condition, protecting you from claims that you restore or upgrade aspects of the property that were already in a poor state.

At RMA Surveyors, we regularly undertake Schedules of Condition for incoming tenants, providing a comprehensive benchmark of the property’s condition at the start of the lease. Our detailed reports, complete with photographs and descriptions, ensure that tenants have a clear record of the property’s state, helping to limit repair liabilities and protect against future dilapidation claims. This valuable document is a crucial tool for tenants looking to safeguard their interests throughout the lease term.

Why You Should Commission a Schedule of Condition at the Start of Your Lease

A Schedule of Condition is not just useful for avoiding dilapidations disputes at the end of your lease—it can provide peace of mind throughout your tenancy. Knowing exactly what condition the property was in when you moved in helps you manage repairs and maintenance more effectively during your lease, while ensuring you’re not held responsible for pre-existing damage.

Without a Schedule of Condition, you could find yourself in a position where the landlord holds you responsible for restoring the property to a condition it was never in to begin with, resulting in unnecessary costs. Commissioning this document at the start of your lease is a small investment that can save you thousands at the end.

If you’re a tenant facing a Schedule of Dilapidations, or just beginning a lease and thinking ahead, employing a dilapidations surveyor can provide you with expert guidance, limit your repair liabilities, and ensure that any claims made against you are fair and proportionate. By having a Schedule of Condition in place and negotiating repair obligations with the help of a professional, you can significantly reduce the potential costs and stresses associated with dilapidations at the end of your lease.

Understanding Overinflated Schedules of Dilapidations

Landlords often prepare Schedules of Dilapidations that are more expansive than what is reasonable, aiming to recover more than what is actually necessary to restore the property. It’s not uncommon for these schedules to include:

• Unnecessary repairs or upgrades that go beyond basic maintenance.
• Betterment, where the landlord expects the property to be returned in a better condition than it was at the start of the lease.
• Over-inflated costs for repairs, often based on estimates from the landlord’s surveyor that may not reflect fair market rates.

The Benefits of Having a Dilapidations Surveyor on Your Side

Hiring an experienced dilapidations surveyor to negotiate on your behalf can significantly reduce the overall claim. Here’s how:

1. Accurate Assessment: A surveyor will carefully review the Schedule of Dilapidations and compare it with the terms of your lease and the Schedule of Condition. They’ll assess whether the repairs claimed are reasonable, or if the landlord is seeking more than they are entitled to under the lease.
2. Challenging Overinflated Claims: With expert knowledge, a dilapidations surveyor can push back against excessive or unwarranted claims, particularly those related to “betterment.” Their role is to ensure you only pay for repairs that are necessary to return the property to the condition it was in at the start of your lease—nothing more.
3. Cost Reduction: Dilapidations surveyors have extensive experience in negotiating fair settlement costs. They understand market rates for repairs and can counter any inflated quotes presented by the landlord. In many cases, their expertise leads to substantial reductions in the final amount payable.
4. Negotiating a Settlement: Rather than going through the stress and expense of completing all the repairs yourself, your surveyor may be able to negotiate a financial settlement where you pay an agreed amount to the landlord in lieu of carrying out the works. This can often result in cost savings and reduce the time pressure on you as a tenant.
5. Avoiding Legal Disputes: A surveyor’s involvement early on can help avoid the need for costly and time-consuming legal disputes. They’ll ensure that negotiations are fair and that your interests are well-represented, potentially avoiding the need for litigation altogether.

At RMA Surveyors, our experienced team is here to help you navigate dilapidations and protect your interests, ensuring that you don’t pay more than you should. Contact us today for professional advice and support with your property needs.