Lewis Chartered Surveyors are highly experienced in conducting commercial property surveys, also known as an RICS-Technical Due Diligence report. Regulated by the RICS, we provide robust, comprehensive and reliable surveys to help our clients make informed decisions.

Our different commercial property clients

We regularly conduct commercial property surveys for owner-occupiers, investors, landlords and tenants.

Investors and Landlords

Owner-occupiers

For owner-occupiers we bring clarity of the property’s structure and current condition. This can help them to determine what repairs will be needed, when and what the likely cost implications of this will be. It can aid their decision-making when it comes to purchasing a property, or budgeting for ongoing repairs or refurbishment.

Tenants

What to expect from us

Our detailed and robust surveys cover a broad range of practical considerations such as:

• The state of the property if the intention is to continue using in its existing form.
• The state of the property if the client has advised that they intend to develop it.
• What structural issues are evident and how the building is likely to perform, from an energy efficiency perspective.
• The expected durability and lifespan of the materials in the fabric of the structure and need refurbishment over time.
• Whether there are likely to be any major implications when insuring the property.
• The need for specialist assessments by other professionals of plant and equipment longevity and efficiency, such as air conditioning and heating.
• Health and Safety risks such as presence of asbestos on the premises etc. Also if there is any visible evidence of contamination from previous uses.
• Implications of Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) – for example, properties currently with a rating of F or G cannot be leased out.
• General compliance with The Equality Act and accessibility guidelines, and any obvious shortcomings or improvements that may be needed.

Energy Performance

A broad knowledge of different commercial properties

Over the years, we have amassed considerable experience in surveying a wide variety of business premises. These include retail, office, warehousing and manufacturing plants as well as Listed Buildings. We also support clients looking to incorporate properties as part of their pension arrangements. Our reports are comprehensive, robust, and tailored to each property and our clients’ plans or intentions.

Clients value our reports for their detail, relevance and clarity of the property’s strengths and weaknesses.

Peace of mind

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For more information about how we can help with your commercial property assessment, please do get in touch.

While we are mainly approached by Landlords to review dilapidations in a commercial property; we have also conducted these assessments and produced reports for tenants.

Advising Landlords

Terminal Schedule of Dilapidations

We also specialise in producing Terminal Schedule of Dilapidation reports at the end of a lease.

In producing these reports, we will review:

• All the available documents relating to the property and lease.
• If there are schedules, licences and sub-tenancies in effect.
• What covenants are in place – for example repairing, redecorating, reinstating covenants.
• Yielding up clauses at the end of the lease – for example removing partitions installed by tenants and other tenants alterations.
• The current state of the property in relation to these points.

Our comprehensive Terminal Schedule of Dilapidations will be laid out item by item, room by room and elevation by elevation. This will signpost any breaches of the lease or non-approved alterations, along with problems to the property’s services such as drainage. 

The Terminal Schedule of Dilapidations can be a costed schedule to give the financial implications of the repairs required.

Section 146 Notices and Interim Schedules of Dilapidations

Advising tenants

We are also consulted by tenants and their legal advisers, who have been served Interim and Terminal Schedules of Dilapidations claims, and who want an independent professional opinion on the validity of those claims and whether the sums are reasonable.

As above, we will conduct a thorough review to determine whether the landlord’s claim is justified. We will also advise on the appropriate strategy to limit the tenants’ financial exposure.

Extensive commercial property experience

We have considerable experience in assessing a wide variety of business premises. These include retail, office, hospitality, warehousing and manufacturing plants. Our experience also reflects a wide range of property ages, building styles and modification approaches which you tend to find in commercial property.

Peace of mind

Find out more

For more information about how we can help you assess the condition of your commercial property, please do get in touch.

A Schedule of Condition is usually undertaken at the beginning of a commercial property lease.  The Schedule records the state of the premises for the landlord or tenant to keep for future reference.

This useful record can be referenced throughout the lease whenever any schedules of dilapidations are served and in determining the responsibility of a specific repair.

Kept with, and referenced in the lease, they are also consulted at the end of the term to compare the premises currently to its state when the lease began.

We have significant experience surveying properties and producing Schedules of Condition for all types of commercial premises, in buildings of all ages and design styles.

What to expect in our Schedule of Condition

Peace of mind

Find out more

For more information about how we can help you assess the condition of your commercial property, please do get in touch.

If you own or rent out commercial property, Lewis Chartered Surveyors can help you protect the quality, fabric and value of the building by conducting regular inspections of the premises.

Our thorough inspections can assess issues such as whether:

• Your tenants are adequately maintaining the property in line with their Lease covenants.
• Any health and safety issues that have suddenly arisen, which you need to address – for example fire safety and access issues.
• Any natural events (such as storms, excessive heat or cold) have created problems in the building structure and features.
• All services in the property (such as water and drainage) are being managed and maintained correctly.

Our inspections can alert you to any breaches of the lease, for example if a tenant has conducted non-approved alterations.  We would also flag any changes which may have a bearing on your insurance for the buildings.

Furthermore, clients use our reports to schedule repairs and maintenance activities to be covered by service charges for the premises.  The reports can help to limit the extent of dilapidations, which then need to be addressed at the end of a lease.

Support for those with property assets to manage

How we help

Our assessments and resulting reports help these groups fulfil their legal obligations and take the appropriate steps to maintain and preserve the quality and value of the building.

David Lewis is a Fellow of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and an RICS Registered Valuer. We maintain a comprehensive knowledge of the latest standards, property legislation and commercial property environment. We also have many years’ experience in spotting common, and not so common, defects in properties of all ages.

What to expect from our reports

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If you are finding the regular review of your property’s condition a challenge, please contact our specialists about how we can ease the process and enable you to comply with your obligations.