- Review the terms of the lease and any other documents
- Undertake a detailed survey of the property
- Review the Schedule of Dilapidations served by the Landlord
- Advise you whether the items in the Schedule are valid
- Discuss the claim with the landlord and their advisors
- Negotiate the items with the landlord to reduce your financial liability
As a tenant of a commercial property, you will usually have an obligation to repair and maintain the property, which will be specified in detail within the lease.
As the lease comes to an end these obligations are reviewed by the landlord and often a Schedule of Dilapidations is presented to the tenant. This will detail any ‘items of disrepair’ that the Landlord believes the tenant should have done but has not done.
When we act for a tenant we review the lease, survey the property and provide an independent view of the repair obligations under the lease and whether the items of disrepair specified in the Schedule of Dilapidations are valid or not. We will contact the landlord or their surveyors to discuss the claim and look to negotiate this to an acceptable conclusion which usually involves doing some final repair work to the property or making a financial payment to the landlord in lieu of this work.
Our skills and experience mean that we can ensure that any claim by the Landlord is fair and reasonable and that the items of disrepair they are claiming for are appropriate for the particular building in the particular location. We will ensure that you are not unreasonably penalised by the landlord and the agreement reached is the best possible commercial outcome for you.
We are experienced on working alongside property litigation solicitors to help resolve any disputes.
An example of a Dilapidations claim we have negotiated on behalf of a Tenant is for The Children’s Heart Unit Foundation at The Fleming Centre in Newcastle.
“Ben Hunter and the team at Method regularly provide us with advice when we are acquiring or asset managing property. We like working alongside Ben as his methodical, experienced and professional approach to property aligns with our business needs. The team work quickly and efficiently to understand our concerns on any technical matter and help us come up with a commercial and pragmatic resolution in a timely manner.”
Douglas Cranston
Investment Manager
MCM Group
“I have known and worked with Ben for a number of years and what sets him apart from other building surveyors is his desire to understand the needs of the business. It is not simply the case of issuing the “standard” report he wants to provide a much more focused report which is of much more use to his client. By tailoring his reports and advice to our requirements Ben and the wider team provide a much better value for money than the tick box exercise of some other surveyors.”
Ian Miller
Head of Property
Luxury Leisure, Talarius Ltd & RAL Ltd
Novomatic Group
“We have worked with Ben for a number of years and can fully rely on him. Ben’s personal approach to each job, regardless of size, engenders trust and confidence. We are able to make important business decisions based on Ben’s advice and look forward to continuing our relationship with Method Building Consultancy”
Laura Lloyd
Investment and Development Manager
The Hanro Group
“Having recently set up my own Commercial Property Asset Management business that specialises in working with landed estates, I was very conscious about introducing other professional to advise clients. Previously as Property Director for The Northumberland Estates I worked with Ben over the years and always trusted his straightforward no nonsense advice. Since he founded Method Building Consultancy I have used Ben on two different landed estates where he has successfully advised on a range of Dilapidations and professional matters as well as undertaking an acquisition survey. Ben always manages to understand what the business requires and tailor high quality advice to the situation at hand. Both landowners valued the advice and I have no hesitation to introduce Ben on future projects.”
Colin Davison
We are incredibly grateful to Ben at Method Building Consultancy for his suport, generosity and professionalism. His advice and guidance has been invaluable and resulted in protection of the charities funds to be used to suport the Children’s Heart Unit. From start to finish Ben has provided a first class service advising and liaising on our behalf in a timely and professional manner. Thank you Ben for your amazing support.”
Charlotte Campbell
Children’s Heart Unit Foundation