End of a lease - Dilapidation on a building to be demolished

End of a lease - Dilapidation on a building to be demolished

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Discussion

surveyor

17,824 posts

184 months

Saturday 22nd November 2014
quotequote all
johnfm said:
s2kjock said:
johnfm said:
You will probably want the advice of a good property litigation lawyer.

You can probably get some good initial advice from a good one for less than £500 - if that.

The landlord might take the piss - so you might need decent advice.
Is it not surveyors who normally advise on dilaps claims?
Not when there is a dispute between the parties. Sure, surveyors will survey and negotiate stuff. But if the OP gets a £150k dilapidations claim, he will want a lawyer.
And a Surveyor.

EddieSteadyGo

11,936 posts

203 months

Saturday 22nd November 2014
quotequote all
In your first post you mentioned that the tenant next door agreed a dilap cost of £2.5k.

You also stated that you were in no position to pay this amount of money.

Sorry if this sounds blunt, but why would you sign a lease without making provision for the end of lease costs?

Also, the suggestion of getting professional advice of a solicitor and surveyor is interesting, as you will quite easily burn through £2.5k in a very short period of time in terms of their fees.

Personally I would look to try to negotiate an amount directly with the landlord based on what you owe according to the contract you signed. And as suggested above, I would make an agreement that if the building is subsequently demolished that the dilap costs would be returned to you.


soi6

121 posts

113 months

Sunday 23rd November 2014
quotequote all
what about just walking away ? IF you have a asshole for a landlord, make them do the work .Is it really worth his time ?

t400ble

1,804 posts

121 months

Friday 21st December 2018
quotequote all
Just having same bother having left a unit

5k a year rent 1000sq ft unit
Been in unit 5 years

Hit with a 9k delapidations bill

Roof if dirty. It's as clean as the unit next door they have just rented out

Metal guttering has a small patch of rust and requires repair.


Utter joke


surveyor

17,824 posts

184 months

Saturday 22nd December 2018
quotequote all
t400ble said:
Just having same bother having left a unit

5k a year rent 1000sq ft unit
Been in unit 5 years

Hit with a 9k delapidations bill

Roof if dirty. It's as clean as the unit next door they have just rented out

Metal guttering has a small patch of rust and requires repair.


Utter joke
Ask them for their diminution valuation.

t400ble

1,804 posts

121 months

Tuesday 25th December 2018
quotequote all
surveyor said:
t400ble said:
Just having same bother having left a unit

5k a year rent 1000sq ft unit
Been in unit 5 years

Hit with a 9k delapidations bill

Roof if dirty. It's as clean as the unit next door they have just rented out

Metal guttering has a small patch of rust and requires repair.


Utter joke
Ask them for their diminution valuation.
Will do

Any advice welcomed

russy01

4,693 posts

181 months

Wednesday 26th December 2018
quotequote all
t400ble said:
Just having same bother having left a unit

5k a year rent 1000sq ft unit
Been in unit 5 years

Hit with a 9k delapidations bill

Roof if dirty. It's as clean as the unit next door they have just rented out

Metal guttering has a small patch of rust and requires repair.


Utter joke
I don’t think it’s a joke!! Of course some are going to take the piss, but it’s just a starting point as they know you aren’t just going to stump up the first offer no matter what it is.

Plus you can’t compare your roof to the one next door? Your lease is about the roof of the building you were leasing, you don’t know what’s in the neighbours agreement??

End of the day you need to be prepared and it sounds like a lot of tenants simply aren’t. Go in with your eyes wide open and EXPECT the landlord to try profit from you at the lease end!!
When you take out a lease you need to agree a proper and detailed schedule outlining the exact details and condition of anything and everything.
Simply go round with a camera and photograph everything, then in 10yrs time you can go back with some proof, not just a complaint that the neighbours roof is dirty too.

Sorry for sounding like a knob, but these things work both ways.


ClaphamGT3

11,300 posts

243 months

Wednesday 26th December 2018
quotequote all
Surveyor posted some excellent advice on the 1st page which I won't repeat.

In a successful dilapidated negotiation you need to appoint a surveying practice who can span both the anal process under the lease and also negotiate a good deal when toe to toe with the landlord's surveyor. It's not often that the same person can do both so make sure you retain a firm who can satisfy you they have the capability both to adhere to process and to secure a good deal.

As said, keep bringing it back to the dimunition in value to the reversion. Another tactic that I've used to good effect in the past is, if the LL is not moving enough on the settlement figure, start saying that you'll get the work done rather than paying them the money. That normally focuses their mind on a realistic deal.