When commercial office tenants leave a property it’s common practice for them to undertake repairs and return the premises to its previous condition.
Known as office dilapidation, provision for this is made at the outset of a tenancy agreement. However, it can sometimes get overlooked when it’s time to move out, landing you with some costly, unexpected bills.
If your lease is nearing its end and you don’t intend to renew, you need robust strategies in place to cover dilapidation, ensure business continuity and avoid any surprises.
What Does Dilapidation Mean?
In normal terms dilapidation refers to buildings that have fallen into a state of disrepair or decay. In the context of a commercial landlord and tenant agreement, office dilapidation refers to the specific works tenants must carry out at the end of their lease to return the property to its original condition.
Any lease you agree to with your landlord will have a clause containing the dilapidation provision and what you must do. It should be specific and detail exactly what is expected of you.
Things likely to be included are:
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Flooring
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Wall coverings
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Fittings
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Decoration
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Furniture
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Repairs
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For example, if you put up partition walls and office cubicles you will be expected to remove these. Similarly, if you painted the walls in your vibrant brand colours they must be returned to their original state.
How To Stay On Top Of Your Dilapidation Obligations
The dilapidation clause will tell you what you need to do and it’s essential you look at this and make plans well ahead of your end lease date.
Assessment And Planning
It’s sensible to conduct an early assessment of your premises to identify any potential dilapidation issues. You should also talk to your landlord about their intentions regarding the property as you may not need to carry out all the repairs originally stipulated, for example, if they choose to retain some of the features you’ve added. You can undertake an assessment internally or, better still, hire a professional surveyor to do it for you.
Budgeting And Cost Management
Budgeting for the work involved is an essential part of the process. You should allow for the cost of the works, any surveyor or professional fees, legal costs, business interruption and potential loss of business.
Hiring A Professional Office Fit-Out Specialist
You can manage the work in-house if you have sufficient resources or you can hire an office fit-out specialist like Creative Office and Commercial Interiors to take care of it for you. It can seem more cost effective to manage it yourself but if you’re inexperienced it can easily cost you far more in the long run.
A commercial fit-out specialist not only has the knowledge to optimise the process and get the most out of your budget, but they also handle the logistics, schedule and stress!
Quality And Timely Work
Office fit-out specialists are adept at managing projects from start to finish. They will also have built up a trusted and reliable network of tradespeople who will carry out a first-class job. They will minimise the time a property is out of action and therefore minimise the impact it has on your business.
Project Management
Organising any kind of renovation or dilapidation works takes time and effort. If you’re already running a business full-time, particularly if it’s a larger organisation with multiple staff and departments, managing it in-house may simply be a step too far.
Office fit-out specialists will streamline the entire process, obtain the necessary permissions, engage contractors and project manage every step, leaving you free to concentrate on your business.
Is your business lease nearing its end? Concerned about meeting your dilapidation obligations without disrupting your day-to-day operations?
Creative Office and Commercial Interiors is here to help. Get in touch today to find out more!
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