Whether you are buying or leasing a commercial property a building survey or condition survey is essential so that you can be fully aware of your likely obligations, or to protect you in the event of future disputes. Anderson Associates carry out all types of building survey for commercial properties in the South East.
When a lease comes to an end the landlord should normally expect to get his property back in good condition, and ready to be let again. So it’s important that both landlords and tenants understand what they have to do under the terms of the lease.
We can advise both landlords and tenants on the repairs that are needed, and the costs that each of them will need to pay.
Normally the landlord prepares the dilapidation schedule, which will list the areas of disrepair the tenant is responsible for, and how much the repairs are likely to cost.
Tenants can either get the work done themselves, to the satisfaction of the landlord’s surveyor, or pay the estimated costs directly to the landlord.
Sometimes these costs seem a little high when tenants actually look at the work required. In that case we can act on behalf of the tenant – and we can sometimes negotiate substantially lower costs.
This is a document that can be attached to a new lease to limit a person’s liability for dilapidations. For example, it might record the poor condition of the walls or windows. This would mean that when the tenants leave they can prove they weren’t responsible for this defect.
Having a schedule of condition carried out by a recognised professional, such as a chartered surveyor or structural engineer, gives the document more weight in the event of a dispute.
Click here to enquire about a lease or commercial property building survey, or call us on 01473 623 656 or freephone 0800 652 8285.
