Schedule of Condition Report

It is always disappointing that when commissioned to defend a terminal schedule of dilapidations on behalf of a tenant, that no schedule of condition has been produced at the commencement of the lease.

Schedules of condition are extremely important to determine the exact state of the various elements of the property which will seriously affect/limit the tenant's obligations for repair.

The proviso that their repair obligations are ‘that the premises are to be kept in no better condition’ than evidenced by such a Schedule.

In some cases a schedule of condition has been prepared in the form of a photographic report in order to provide evidence at the commencement of the lease.

Issues with photographic schedules arise when the photographs taken are too general and do not exactly pin-point a location i.e. a photograph of floor coverings, wall areas etc. Photographs and plans will generally be insufficient on their own and no substitute for the written word.

The photographic report should be appended to a schedule which highlights and describes the actual element along with its condition and location.

The report should flow through the building highlighting each room in turn along with external elevations (if applicable) to make it easy to read and refer to.

It should be undertaken in a clear and logical manner and in some cases an agreed diagnosis of the cause of a defect may be appropriate. The surveyor should be objective and avoid opinion. It will also be appropriate to advise the client on any relevant testing of building services.

The report should be in a format that makes it easy to append to the lease for future reference.

For more information on the schedule of condition service provided by the Delaney Marling Partnership please contact us through the website or call us on 01482 623955 (Hull & East Riding) or 01472 729964 (North & North East Lincolnshire).