Understanding Your Exposure Before the Claim Lands
A TerminalSchedule of Dilapidations is the landlord’s formal statement of alleged breaches of lease at the end of a commercial tenancy. It is usually issued shortly after lease expiry and sets out the works the landlord claims the tenant should have completed, together with a financial demand.
For many tenants, this is the first moment the true cost of a lease becomes clear. The figures can be substantial but they are rarely final.
Why Terminal Schedules Are Often Overstated
Terminal schedules are prepared from the landlord’s perspective and are commonly framed to preserve leverage rather than reflect genuine loss. In practice, claims frequently include items that fall outside the tenant’s legal responsibility.
It is not unusual to see demands for defects that were present at lease commencement, upgrades disguised as repairs, or redecoration claims that exceed the lease obligations. In some cases, the landlord has no intention of carrying out the works at all, particularly where redevelopment is planned.
Without expert review, tenants often assume the schedule must be accepted or paid. That assumption is usually wrong.
How a Terminal Schedule Should Be Assessed
A valid terminal dilapidations claim must be tested against the wording of the lease, any Schedule of Condition, and the legal principles governing dilapidations. Each item must be justified both technically and legally.
At Stokemont, we examine whether the alleged breach genuinely exists, whether the lease actually requires the work claimed, and whether the cost is reasonable and reflective of market rates.
Where claims extend beyond repair into improvement, or where works would be rendered pointless by future alterations, those items can often be removed entirely.
Turning a Claim Into a Negotiation
A terminal schedule is not a fixed bill. It is the starting point of a negotiation governed by the RICS Dilapidations Protocol. With a structured response supported by evidence and pricing, inflated claims can be reduced significantly.
Our objective is not confrontation for its own sake, but control. By narrowing the dispute to genuine issues only, tenants are placed in a far stronger position to reach an early and commercially sensible settlement.
Plan Your Exit, Don’t React to It
The strongest dilapidations outcomes are achieved when advice is taken before the lease ends, not after the claim arrives. Early instruction allows strategy, budgeting, and leverage.
Speak to a Dilapidations Expert at Stokemont, protect your position at lease expiry.
