Why do I need a Schedule of Condition survey?

The purpose of a Schedule of Condition Survey is to record the current condition of a property before entering into a lease agreement and is a detailed room-by-room assessment.

Commercial leases usually stipulate that the tenant is responsible for any repairs during and at the end of a tenancy, so it is vital that you fully understand your potential liabilities before signing your lease. Often, a Schedule of Condition Survey can be used to negotiate with your landlord to have immediate defects corrected prior to your taking over the lease and this can possibly save you a considerable amount of money.

Once completed, you will know the exact condition of the property at that period in time. If you take on a property that is in a poor condition and the lease states that the property is to be kept in good repair and you have not negotiated for this to be amended, you will still be liable for all of the repairs.

This does appear to be unfair, however, unless agreed by both parties, the condition of the property when you took on the lease is irrelevant; you will still have to put all of the repairs right.

When entering into a lease for a property, if you have a Condition Survey carried out, you should ask the landlord for a copy of this survey to be attached to the lease. This will ensure that you don't have to pay for any repair works that were present on the property at the time you took on the lease, by doing this you should ensure that you are getting a fair deal.

It's important to have the premises surveyed by a qualified surveyor at the outset where they will be able to advise on the scale of liability that might be involved.

AFA Schedule of Condition

AFA will make a thorough assessment of your property and provide you with a report, which contains written and photographic evidence of each room. The report will also advise on potential future defects that may need attention.

For shorter leases (between six months and two years), AFA may recommend a Photographic Schedule of Condition. Depending on the property, this may be more cost effective than commissioning a full Schedule of Condition.

If you require a Schedule of Condition Survey please contact us for a free, no obligation quote.