Before you sign a commercial lease, a schedule of condition in London gives you a written and photographic record of the property’s actual state at the start of the tenancy. A well-referenced schedule can limit a tenant’s repairing obligations to that starting condition. It stops landlords holding tenants to an unrealistic “as new” standard the property never actually met.
We prepare schedules of condition for landlords, tenants, and solicitors across London, for both commercial and residential properties.
A schedule of condition is a detailed record of a property’s condition. Surveyors prepare it before a lease begins, and it becomes a supporting document appended to the lease. It isn’t a legal requirement. However, tenants who take on a lease with full repairing obligations, and have no schedule in place, risk an expensive dilapidations claim at lease expiry, based on a standard the property may never have met.
The document works both ways. It protects tenants from liability for pre-existing disrepair, and it gives landlords a clear, dated baseline to compare against later. Arguing over historic property condition without evidence is expensive and time-consuming. That’s why most surveyors recommend commissioning a schedule before signing, rather than after a dispute has already started.
There are two common formats. A Photographic Schedule of Condition relies mainly on dated photographs. This makes it quicker and cheaper to prepare, but it has a real limitation: it can only speak to what’s visible in the frame. A Full Schedule of Condition Report combines photographs with a detailed written description. That description covers the form of construction, condition, and any defective parts. Because it documents more than the camera alone can capture, most surveyors recommend the full version for anything beyond a very simple, short-term let.
People often confuse these two documents, but they serve opposite purposes. Surveyors prepare a schedule of condition before a lease begins, purely as a record of the property’s condition at that point. A schedule of dilapidations works differently: surveyors prepare it during or at the end of a lease, to document breaches of the repairing covenant.
Section 18 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927 caps a landlord’s dilapidations claim at the actual reduction in the property’s value caused by the tenant’s breach. A well-prepared schedule of condition is often a tenant’s strongest evidence to challenge that claim.
You need to prepare a schedule of condition at, or just before, lease commencement — not after problems arise. Staying in contact with your surveyor throughout the process helps resolve any queries about the property quickly. Getting it right at the outset also avoids costly disputes about historic condition later, once memories and paperwork become harder to reconstruct.
London’s commercial lease market moves quickly, and short-term or “grey space” lettings on older buildings are common across the city, particularly in converted period properties. These units frequently carry pre-existing wear that’s easy to mistake for tenant-caused damage at lease end. London’s commercial rents run higher than most of the country, so the potential dilapidations claim runs higher too. A schedule of condition is a comparatively small cost against that financial exposure.
| Property Type | Price |
|---|---|
| Residential Property | From £175, no VAT |
| Shop | From £300, no VAT |
| Office | From £400, no VAT |
| Warehouse Unit | From £500, no VAT |
Is a schedule of condition a legal requirement? No. However, without one, tenants have very limited defence against a dilapidations claim based on an unrealistic standard of repair.
Does a schedule of condition need referencing in the lease itself? Yes. For it to carry contractual weight, the lease needs to specifically reference the schedule of condition. That reference makes it the baseline for the tenant’s repairing obligations.
What’s the difference between a photographic and a full schedule? A photographic schedule relies on dated images alone. A full schedule adds detailed written descriptions of construction and condition, which gives stronger evidence if a dispute arises later.
Can a schedule of condition help if my landlord later makes a dilapidations claim? Yes. It’s often the clearest evidence a tenant can produce to show which defects existed before the tenancy began. That evidence is directly relevant to a claim capped under Section 18 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927.
Give us a call on 07500300909 or email info@theleasefloorplan.co.uk to arrange a schedule of condition in London.
We also offer HMO Floor Plans, Alcohol Licensing Floor Plans, Lease Floor Plans, Property Inventories, EPC Certificates, and Fire Risk Assessments.
For more on the legal background, see Section 18 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927 and this guide to dilapidations in commercial leases.