What is a Photographic Schedule of Condition?
A photographic schedule of condition is a detailed record of a property’s condition at a specific point in time. This is usually just before a new lease begins. The schedule includes high-quality photos coupled with written notes that extensively document the state of the property. It’s very thorough and includes everything from the walls and floors to the ceilings and even external features, like roof coverings, grounds or parking areas.
When the lease comes to an end, the schedule is what tenants rely on to help limit the size of any dilapidations claim. If they can prove that damage was present before they took on the lease. It can save them a huge amount of money – sometimes tens of thousands of repair costs.
When do you need a Photographic Schedule of Condition?
The most common time to commission a photographic schedule of condition is right at the start of a lease, or just before construction work begins. For example, if you’re a tenant signing a commercial lease with repair obligations, it’s smart to get a Photographic Schedule of Condition. Why?
Because when leasing a building, it’s often not in the condition that a standard full repairing lease requires it to be in. A schedule of condition can protect you from being held responsible for damage at the end of the lease when it was already there before you took the lease on.
Why Does it Benefit Commercial Landlords?
Funnily enough, it’s not only beneficial to commercial landlords, but to their tenants as well. Either party can commission a photographic schedule of condition, for different reasons. For tenants, it’s a layer of protection, especially with specific types of leases, including full repairing and insuring leases. For landlords, it reduces the chance of disputes and helps enforce fair repair obligations at the end of a lease. So really, it’s a win-win!
How Does it Work?
First things first, you’ll need to ensure the landlord agrees that you can undertake a schedule of condition. Once that is done, your surveyor will inspect the property and document its condition. This document should provide you with text descriptions and a generous number of supporting photos. They may even use drone photography to accurately document the roof condition.
How Do Harrison Clarke Complete Their Schedules of Condition?
Every surveyor will do their photographic schedule of conditions slightly differently, so we thought we’d tell you a bit about our process. Our team is made up of dilapidations specialists, which means we’re well-versed in how to best mitigate dilapidations claims. While it is possible for tenants to prepare these documents themselves, our reports contain much more detail and offer a higher level of protection. After all, we have the expertise to target areas of a property that are most likely to contribute toward dilapidations claim.
At Harrison Clarke, we use specialist software to reduce the time taken to prepare schedules, saving us time and our clients’ money, and making our reports much more economical than other surveyors! This bespoke software allows us to prepare high quality interactive PDFs, where individual photographs can be enlarged, making them perfect for a detailed analysis of dilapidations liability at the end of the lease. This software also helps improve the accuracy of our schedules, as well as reducing the time to complete them. This time saved is passed on to the client, making us extremely cost effective for photographic schedules of condition.
So, do you need a photographic schedule of condition for your commercial property? If you’re about to sign a lease or kick off a project, the answer is: absolutely. It’s a simple step that can save thousands down the line. Our team of experienced surveyors would be happy to help you protect your interests with a photographic schedule of condition. Call us on 023 8155 0051.
For more expert advice on surveying and property matters, check out our range of informative videos on our website or YouTube channel. Harrison Clarke Chartered Surveyors is here to guide you every step of the way!
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