Reduce your dilapidations settlement.
Get expert advice.
If your landlord has served a schedule of dilapidations, the figure they are claiming may not correctly reflect the loss they are claiming. PHD Building Advisory are RICS-accredited chartered surveyors who specialise in negotiating dilapidations settlements for commercial tenants. We can review the schedule served, formalise your response, and negotiate on your behalf.
Book a free initial call
No commitment. Honest assessment of your position.
Many dilapidation claims are deliberately over-inflated. Without expert advice, tenants often unnecessarily settle the full claim.
When a landlord serves a schedule of dilapidations, the opening figure is rarely what a fair settlement looks like. Schedules routinely include works that are not required under the lease, costs that are calculated at unrealistic rates, and items that do not reflect the actual condition of the property at the start of your tenancy.
Without a RICS-accredited surveyor reviewing the schedule on your behalf, you have no structured basis to challenge it. Most tenants who do not take specialist advice end up paying far more than they should, sometimes £100,000s more.
The process also has hard deadlines. Once your lease has ended and you have handed back the keys, you can no longer access the property to carry out remedial works. A cash settlement becomes your only option, and your negotiating position weakens the longer you leave it.
We reduced a £550,000 dilapidations claim to £175,000.
A national industrial tenant was served a dilapidations schedule by their landlord with an opening figure of £550,000 as their lease drew to a close. PHD Building Advisory was instructed to review the claim and act on the tenant's behalf.
The claim settled at £175,000: a reduction of approximately £350,000, or 68% off the landlord's opening figure. Following the outcome, the client re-instructed PHD on further properties across their portfolio.
A consistent pattern across our dilapidations cases
Every tenant-side dilapidations instruction we have settled has come in well below the landlord's opening figure. A few recent examples (client details kept confidential):
Six further settlements in the past 12 months. Every one resulted in a significant reduction.
Across the past year PHD Building Advisory has settled six tenant-side dilapidations cases. In each case the final settlement figure was significantly below the landlord's opening schedule. Following the case above, the client instructed PHD on further properties across their portfolio.
Director-led advice that delivers results.
Every instruction at PHD is handled by a director-level chartered surveyor. The person who takes your initial call is the person who reviews your schedule, prepares your response and negotiates your settlement. There are no junior surveyors or graduates involved in your claim.
“If you want great advice underpinned on strong knowledge and experience, I would highly recommend PHD. They've been working with us for over two years, having started with a 10-year PPM plan and continued on to scope, tender, and manage various projects as a result. Their communication is clear and concise and their project management professional and pragmatic. Construction projects are rarely straightforward, but PHD are a pleasure to work with throughout the process.”
Why tenants choose PHD Building Advisory
Drone surveys included as standard
We include drone surveys on every dilapidations instruction at no additional cost. On commercial and industrial properties, the roof is frequently the largest single item in a landlord's schedule. Our drone capability means nothing gets accepted unchallenged that shouldn't be.
RICS-accredited practice
PHD Building Advisory is a RICS-regulated firm. All instructions are carried out to RICS standards and the Dilapidations Protocol. This gives your counter-schedule and negotiating position formal professional standing that the landlord's surveyor cannot simply dismiss.
Your fee may be recoverable
Depending on your lease wording, the cost of your surveyor may be recoverable from the landlord as part of the settlement. We review your lease and advise you on this at the outset. In some cases, instructing PHD costs you nothing net.
What happens when you get in touch
Free initial call — Day 1
Tell us about your situation. We give you an honest initial assessment of your position and confirm whether we are the right fit. No commitment required.
Schedule review — Week 1
We review your schedule against your lease, the Scott Schedule, and the actual condition of the property. We identify every challengeable item and prepare your counter-schedule.
Negotiation — Weeks 2+
We enter correspondence with the landlord's surveyor on your behalf. You are kept informed at every stage. The vast majority of cases settle without mediation or court.
Settlement
Once a figure is agreed we confirm in writing. If your fee is recoverable under the lease, we handle that too.
This service is for you if…
- You are a commercial tenant who has received a dilapidations schedule from your landlord.
- Your lease is ending in the next 12 months and you want to understand your position before a schedule is served.
- You are a property or facilities manager responsible for a commercial estate and need a specialist to handle lease-end obligations across your portfolio.
- You occupy commercial, industrial, or office premises in the UK.
This service is not for you if…
- You are a residential tenant. Dilapidations is a commercial lease matter.
- You are a landlord seeking to pursue a claim against a departing tenant. See our landlord dilapidations page →
PHD Building Advisory is a RICS-regulated chartered surveying practice based in Bristol. All instructions are handled by director-level RICS members. We work with commercial tenants, property managers, and investors across the UK, and have done since 2019.
Ready to challenge your schedule?
Book a free initial call with a director-level chartered surveyor. No commitment. No pressure. Just an honest assessment of your position.
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