Dilapidations Surveyors in London
Our dilapidations surveyors act for commercial landlords and tenants across Wimbledon and Greater London, preparing and negotiating schedules of dilapidations at lease end, break or renewal. As RICS chartered surveyors we combine detailed building knowledge with an understanding of lease covenants, the Dilapidations Protocol and Section 18 valuations. Speak to a dilapidations surveyor before your lease event.
What Are Dilapidations?
Dilapidations are breaches of a tenant’s repairing, decorating and reinstatement covenants under a commercial lease. When a lease ends, the landlord may claim the cost of putting the premises back into the condition the lease required. Getting professional advice early – ideally before the lease expires – usually reduces both the size of the claim and the cost of resolving it.
Schedules of Dilapidations
We prepare interim schedules served during the lease term and terminal schedules served at or near expiry, each itemising the alleged breaches, the remedial works required and their costs. Our schedules follow the RICS guidance and the pre-action Dilapidations Protocol, so they stand up to scrutiny in negotiation and, if needed, in court alongside our expert witness service.
Acting for Landlords
For landlords we inspect the premises, document disrepair with photographic evidence, prepare and serve the schedule and quantified demand, and negotiate settlement with the tenant’s surveyor. Where re-letting plans are relevant we advise on how supersession and Section 18 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927 may limit recovery, so your claim is set at a defensible level from the start.
Defending Tenants
For tenants we review the schedule against the actual lease obligations, strip out exaggerated or superseded items and negotiate the claim down – often substantially. We also advise on the most cost-effective exit strategy: carrying out targeted works before expiry versus settling financially. A schedule of condition taken at lease start is the best protection, and we prepare those too.
Section 18 Valuations and Settlement
A dilapidations claim is capped by the diminution in the value of the landlord’s reversion. Our valuers prepare Section 18 diminution valuations that test whether the works claimed genuinely reflect the loss suffered. Combined with realistic costings, this usually brings both parties to a sensible settlement without litigation. Request a quote for your dilapidations matter.