Schedule of Condition & Defect Surveys in Plymouth

Lease liabilities limited by way of a Schedule of Condition

A very typical purpose is to record the condition of a property prior to parties entering into a lease agreement of property so that there is a benchmark reference to judge whether the property/area being inspected at the end of the lease term is in a better or worse condition than at the start of the tenancy. The schedule of condition is particularly useful for both landlords and tenants when it comes to the letting of older or unusual property.

For tenants, a well-documented schedule of condition can help to limit and/or reduce tenant liability from landlord dilapidations claims at the expiry of the lease.

For landlords, offering older or unusual space subject to a schedule of condition can help the marketing and secure a letting of space that would otherwise be perceived by well advised tenants as a maintenance and/or dilapidation liability risk.

Gemstock have a wealth of experience in undertaking schedule of condition tasks for both landlords and tenants across commercial, industrial, retail and residential building sectors.

Schedule of Condition as a record prior to general building construction works

Another typical purpose of a schedule of condition is to record the condition of the part or whole of a property and/or external area prior to any future intended construction works. The resultant schedule of condition provides the relevant parties with a benchmark reference and enables any accidental or incidental damage occasioned by building works or access to/from building works to be identified and subsequently remediated whether by actual making good works or financial compensation in lieu.

For example in London hundreds of properties were inspected by chartered surveyors and schedules of condition prepared prior to underground tunnelling works.

An example from Plymouth; Gemstock surveyed over 1 mile of access road and perimeter walls and other features prior to a housing development at Millbay Docks by well-known construction company.

Schedule of condition as record prior to any party wall works

Another typical purpose of a schedule of condition is its use in party wall matters to record the condition of a neighbour’s property prior to any intended construction works nearby that may affect the neighbouring property. While strictly speaking the task of undertaking a schedule of condition is not specifically mentioned in The Party Wall etc Act 1996 (the Act that governs party wall matters in England and Wales) it is generally considered to be an intrinsic part of a party wall award which governs works which fall within the auspices of the Act.

Similar to its use/purpose in general construction the resultant schedule of condition provides the relevant parties with a benchmark reference and enables any accidental or incidental damage occasioned by building works or access to/from building works to be identified and subsequently remediated whether by actual making good works or financial compensation in lieu.

All party wall matters dealt with by Gemstock involve undertaking or agreeing a schedule of condition.

Richard Wood, Building Surveyor

Gemstock is headed by experienced Chartered Surveyor, Richard Wood BSc (Hons) MRICS.

Before setting up Gemstock, Richard spent 7 years in the specialist dilapidations and lease advisory team at Deloitte LLP which took over Drivers Jonas in 2010. Previous employed and consultancy roles include providing dilapidations and commercial building surveying services for Xerox and related companies from 1997.

When not in the office, Richard’s interests include tennis, skiing, and cycling; and exploring the South West.

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