Decorating an office to satisfy a schedule of dilapidations

01Read the lease before the schedule

The schedule of dilapidations is the landlord's opening position, not necessarily what the lease requires. The repairing and reinstatement clauses in the lease itself set the real obligation, and decoration is frequently specified more heavily in the schedule than the lease actually demands. We work from both documents so scope is grounded in what's contractually required, and we flag anywhere the schedule appears to go beyond the lease so your solicitor can query it early.

02Reinstating to original specification

Where the lease requires reinstatement to the condition at the start of term, this usually means removing tenant alterations such as feature walls, branded colours and non-standard finishes, and returning surfaces to a neutral, market-standard decoration. It does not usually mean replicating the exact paint system used a decade earlier, and we agree the practical equivalent with you before pricing. In practice this is nearly always a neutral, market-standard decoration rather than a forensic match to what was there at the start of term.

• Remove feature walls and branded colour schemes
• Make good ceiling tiles, partitions and fixings removed with alterations
• Return to a neutral palette acceptable for re-letting
• Patch and decorate areas affected by removed cabling or fixtures

03Negotiating scope with the landlord's surveyor

Dilapidations negotiations often centre on whether full redecoration is needed or whether targeted making good is sufficient, particularly close to the end of a lease term where the landlord intends to refit anyway. Photographic evidence of current condition, and a clear specification of what work is proposed, gives your solicitor or surveyor something concrete to negotiate against rather than a vague estimate. Where the landlord intends to strip the space back for a new tenant regardless, this is often the strongest argument for reducing decoration scope in the settlement.

04Evidence and photographic records

Before any work starts, a full photographic record of existing condition protects you if the scope is disputed later. This should cover walls, ceilings, joinery and any areas of damage, cross-referenced against the schedule item by item so there's a clear paper trail from claim to completed work. Keeping this record separate from the general refurbishment photos avoids confusion if the dilapidations claim is queried months after handback.

• Date-stamped photographs of every room before works begin
• Item-by-item cross reference against the schedule
• Photographs again on completion for the handback file
• Retained colour and product references in case of query

05Programme before handback

Lease end dates are fixed, and dilapidations decoration usually has to compete with removals, cabling strip-out and furniture clearance for access. We build the programme backwards from the handback date, sequencing decoration after strip-out but allowing enough drying time before keys are returned, so the property isn't handed back with wet paint or an incomplete snag list. Where strip-out runs late, as it often does, we agree in advance which decoration items can be compressed without compromising the finish.

06Cost control and quotation options

Where scope is genuinely in dispute, it can help to have a schedule of rates or a firm quotation for the minimum compliant work and a separate quotation for full redecoration, so your advisers can negotiate with real figures rather than guesswork. This also protects you if the final agreed scope changes partway through negotiations. Having both figures ready from the outset also speeds up the whole process, since your advisers aren't waiting on a fresh quotation every time the scope is revised, and it keeps the eventual settlement grounded in real costs rather than estimates.