Pre-lease Assessments

When trying to secure a suitable premises for their business, there are numerous considerations for Tenants, such as location, access, parking, suitability, transport links, size  and cost to name but a few.

In trying to weigh up all of these factors, your legal responsibilities and liabilities as a tenant – such as the building’s condition, maintenance, repairs and potentially dilapidations – can be overlooked.

One step that is always advisable prior to entering a lease is to have a Pre-Lease Assessment conducted on your behalf.

A Pre-Lease Assessment, conducted by a Chartered Building Surveyor, will advise on the condition of the building and its suitability and will identify immediate liabilities and repairs/upgrading works required to ensure that it is suitable to be occupied.

In addition, a Pre-Lease Assessment will highlight any likely maintenance and repair works that will be incurred during the proposed term of occupation, and the anticipated dilapidations responsibilities at the end of the lease term.

Having this information available prior to agreeing a lease enables prospective tenants to enter into the lease with open eyes, and possibly even to negotiate a better deal at the outset. Armed with the information from a Pre-Lease Assessment, a tenant can put in place a long term plan to mitigate liability at the lease end. In some cases, tenants might discover the work required is too onerous or costly, and decide to no longer proceed.

When entering into a lease we strongly recommend that all our clients have a detailed Schedule of Condition prepared and appended to the lease. If appended to and referred to in the lease, it will prove invaluable to reduce your dilapidations obligations at the end of the lease term and mitigate costs.

Lea Hough carry our pre-lease assessments across Lancashire, Manchester, Cumbria and the wider North West. To discuss our services with one of our Commercial Property Surveyors, or if you wish to instruct us to carry out a Pre-Lease Assessment or Schedule of Condition, please contact us.

Key Contact:
Paul Dignan
Partner - Chartered Building Surveyor
01254 260196
Paul Dignant

"*" indicates required fields

Preston Office
Telephone: 01772 458866
Blackburn Office
Telephone: 01254 260196
Clitheroe Office
Telephone: 01200 320040
Lancaster Office
Telephone: 01524 899850
Manchester Office
Telephone: 0161 265 0070
Lea Hough is a trading name of Lea Hough & Co LLP, which is a Limited Liability Partnership registered in England and Wales under partnership number OC306054.
Registered Office: Oakshaw House, 2 Capricorn Park, Blakewater Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5QR