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A dilapidations claim at lease end on commercial premises can run to tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds. A dilapidation survey is the inspection that allows each item in the claim to be tested against the specific obligations in the lease, rather than accepted at the figure presented.
Instruct a dilapidation survey
Dilapidation surveys are prepared by chartered building surveyors regulated by RICS, instructed by tenants before responding to a landlord schedule and by landlords before serving one. Inspections are scoped to the lease, the property type, and the stage in the lease cycle.
If you are dealing with a live landlord schedule, a break option, or an approaching lease expiry, send us the lease and we will scope the inspection.
Get a quote →The term dilapidation survey does not refer to a single type of inspection. It is used to describe several different surveys carried out at different points in the lease lifecycle, for different purposes, by either landlords or tenants. Understanding which type is needed depends on the circumstances.
- Survey for a dilapidations report. An inspection to forecast the likely dilapidations liability at lease end — used for budgeting, planning remedial works, or informing exit strategy. The earlier this is done, the more options remain to reduce the eventual claim through remedial works or negotiation. See the dilapidation report guide.
- Survey for an interim schedule of dilapidations. An inspection during the lease term to identify current items of disrepair the tenant is obliged to remedy under the repairing covenant. A tenant who fails to remedy faces damages claimed during the term or, in serious cases, forfeiture proceedings. See the schedule of dilapidations guide.
- Survey for a terminal schedule of dilapidations. An inspection at or near lease expiry to identify the items the landlord intends to claim for. This produces the formal claim document served on the tenant, and a terminal claim is typically the largest single dilapidations cost a tenant faces. See the terminal schedule guide.
- Survey to review an interim schedule of dilapidations. A tenant-side inspection to assess the items alleged in a landlord's interim schedule, test whether each breach is made out, and decide whether to carry out works, challenge the claim, or negotiate a settlement. Items in a landlord schedule are not all made out under the lease, and accepting the schedule as served can cost tens of thousands of pounds in unnecessary works. See the schedule of dilapidations guide.
- Survey to review a served schedule of dilapidations. A structured review of the items alleged in a landlord schedule, testing whether each breach is made out under the lease and identifying items to challenge, accept, or negotiate. The difference between an evidenced response and accepting the figures can be a substantial proportion of the total claim. See the schedule of dilapidations guide.
What is a dilapidation survey?
A dilapidation survey is an inspection of commercial premises tested against the repair, reinstatement, and decoration obligations in the lease. Without one, a tenant facing a landlord schedule has no independent view of which alleged breaches are made out under the lease, and a landlord serving a claim has no evidenced basis on which to do so. The survey produces the dated record on which the later schedule, response, or settlement is built.
Commercial dilapidation survey
A commercial dilapidation survey applies the same approach to office, industrial, retail, and mixed-use premises across London and the South East. Commercial leases typically carry repair, reinstatement, and decoration obligations heavier than those in residential leases, and the financial exposure at lease end can reach tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds. The scope of the survey is therefore matched to the property type, the lease, and the stage in the lease cycle.
Costs and risk
Commercial dilapidations claims commonly cover repair, reinstatement, and decoration items across the demised premises. Terminal claims at lease end can run to tens of thousands of pounds on smaller offices and into hundreds of thousands of pounds on larger industrial or multi-let property. Roof coverings, rainwater goods, mechanical and electrical services, and reinstatement of tenant alterations are typically the largest line items.
Section 18 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927 limits damages to the diminution in value to the reversion, but the cap does not apply automatically. It must be evidenced, usually through valuation or market evidence, and a survey that fails to address Section 18 can leave a tenant exposed to damages above the value the landlord has actually lost. See the Section 18 guide for the detail.
The cost of the survey itself is typically a small fraction of the claim being tested. The financial impact of acting late is usually larger. Once occupation has begun or works have completed, recording the pre-existing condition becomes harder, and items that could otherwise have been challenged or excluded may be conceded by default.
What It Is
An inspection of commercial premises to establish physical condition against the repair, reinstatement and decoration obligations in the lease.
When It Appears
Before a landlord schedule is prepared, before a tenant responds, or ahead of lease expiry, break options or budget-setting.
Why It Matters
Commercial claims commonly run to tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds. The survey gives both sides an evidenced view of that exposure before costs, timing, and negotiating positions harden.
The key point
A dilapidation survey is not a generic condition report. Its value lies in tying each finding to a specific lease obligation so that the instructing party can make informed decisions rather than guessing at liability.
If you need a dilapidation survey booked in ahead of lease expiry, a break option, or a landlord claim, send us the lease and a short brief and we will scope the inspection.
Contact us →Need a dilapidation survey on a specific property?
If you are already dealing with a lease-end matter, a landlord claim, or a negotiation that is moving quickly, instructing a surveyor is usually more useful than further reading. A focused inspection against the lease obligations will give you a defensible view of exposure in a few weeks.
See our dilapidations surveyor service or compare this page with the guides on dilapidation reports and terminal schedules.
Related knowledge
Compare this article with the nearest matching pages if you want to follow the topic into related surveying questions.
A practical guide to dilapidation survey reports — what a good report contains, when tenants and landlords should commission one, how it differs from a formal schedule of dilapidations, and what makes a report useful in practice.
A practical guide to what a schedule of dilapidations is, what it includes, when it is served, and how repair, reinstatement, redecoration, Section 18, and related lease rights affect the claim.
A practical guide to terminal schedules of dilapidations in commercial leases — service timing under the Dilapidations Protocol, document content, how it differs from an interim schedule, and how Section 18 and supersession shape the final claim.
Dilapidations are breaches of the repair, reinstatement, decoration and yielding-up obligations in a commercial lease. This guide covers what they are, the interim and terminal categories, typical obligations, and how landlords, tenants and chartered surveyors work through a claim.
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Dilapidations
Landlord and tenant advice on schedules, quantified demands, lease interpretation, and negotiated settlement.
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Schedules of condition
Condition recording for lease commencement, pre-works evidence, and later protection against dispute over pre-existing condition.
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