Schedule of Condition


Schedules of Condition are factual documents, recording the condition of a building at the time of inspection.

The Schedule of Condition will usually comprise a detailed narrative describing the construction and condition of the various building elements, and photographs evidencing the condition.

Agreeing with the Landlord that a photographic Schedule of Condition can be formally annexed to the lease at the outset will prevent the tenant from having to put the building into better condition at the expiry of the lease, and minimise the value of the Dilapidations claim served by the landlord at the end of the lease.

Leases can require a tenant to “put and keep” a building in repair, even if it’s in poor condition at the start of the lease.  Once the lease is signed it’s too late, so take professional advice now.  This is particularly pertinent for tenants to bear in mind when signing Full Repairing and Insuring (FRI) leases, especially those with short terms, and where the building is in poor condition to start with.

Although it’s a simple concept, when preparing Schedules of Dilapidation for landlords at the lease end, we so often see poor Schedules of Condition that offer the tenant little or no protection, when a good schedule should mitigate the tenant’s loss.

Often preparing the Schedule of Condition is considered menial tasks, and undertaken by the office junior, graduates, or in some cases the agent, landlord or tenant.

In our opinion, it’s imperative that someone experienced in preparing Schedules of Dilapidation is engaged to prepare the Schedule of Condition, since it’s purpose is to minimise the dilapidations claim.  The Schedule should be well considered ; both the quantity and quality of photographs are important, as is the wording and extent of the accompanying narrative.

We usually provide a sketch floor plan with our Schedules also, so there can be no confusion as to the layout and which partitions are to be removed or reinstated by the tenant.  If a Schedule of Condition is silent on a particular building element, the building is considered to be in good condition.

Schedules of Condition are relatively cheap to prepare and can, in some cases, save hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Call today for a fee proposal, and to discuss our joined up thinking approach to property.

Building Sense: 0161 2151229.