How does Section 18 affect my dilapidations liability in London?

Section 18(1) of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927 caps a tenant's dilapidations liability at the diminution in value of the landlord's reversion. In practice this means: if the landlord intends to redevelop, substantially alter or demolish the building after you leave, your liability may be significantly lower than the face value of the schedule. London's development pressure makes this particularly relevant — many City fringe and inner London buildings are being converted to residential or substantially refurbished. Raising Section 18 at the right time, backed by a surveyor's diminution valuation, can substantially reduce your liability. We advise tenants to consider this before accepting a landlord's schedule at face value.

How far in advance should I start the dilapidations process in London?

Ideally 12–18 months before lease expiry. A pre-terminal dilapidations audit at that stage gives you time to carry out the works to your own programme, at your chosen price, without being rushed into a settlement that suits the landlord. In London — where landlords' surveyors are aggressive and agents like Savills and JLL know the market well — going in without your own priced schedule puts you at a significant disadvantage. We can carry out a free survey at any stage, but earlier is always better.

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All 33 Boroughs · City · Canary Wharf · West End

Office Dilapidations London

Q: Which landlord agents do you deal with in London?

We regularly price dilapidations works against schedules prepared by Savills, JLL, Knight Frank, Cushman & Wakefield, CBRE, BNP Paribas Real Estate, Colliers, and Carter Jonas — as well as smaller specialist dilapidations surveyors. We understand how each firm structures a Scott Schedule and what figures they tend to build in. Having a contractor-priced schedule to put back against a landlord's claim consistently reduces the final settlement figure.

Q: Can you carry out dilapidations works in the City of London or Canary Wharf?

Yes — regularly. City of London works require careful logistics planning: Red Route restrictions, skip permit applications (City of London Corporation, typically 5–10 working days), hoarding licence applications where footpath access is affected, and strict noise compliance under the City's Code of Construction Practice. Canary Wharf has estate-specific requirements including contractor induction, site-specific RAMS, pre-registered delivery vehicles, and restricted access windows. We know these requirements and build them into programme and pricing from the outset.

Fixed-price works. Free site survey within 48 hours. One team from survey to handover — covering every London borough and the wider South East.

The landlord's schedule has arrived and the numbers look large. Before you agree anything, get your own priced schedule. London landlord agents — Savills, JLL, Knight Frank — build margin into every claim. A contractor's quote gives you a defensible figure to negotiate with.

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We support

COMMERCIAL TENANTS LANDLORDS MANAGING AGENTS CHARTERED SURVEYORS

Accredited

What We Do

One team, one contract,
complete London lease exit

Office dilapidations are the repairs, removals and reinstatement works you must complete before you hand your London office back to the landlord. We handle everything under a single contract — strip-out, structural repairs, flooring reinstatement, ceilings, M&E making-good, and full redecoration — with one point of accountability throughout.

London adds its own complexity: Red Route logistics, out-of-hours delivery windows, building management coordination in multi-tenanted towers, City skip permit applications, and landlord agents who know the market inside out. We've done this across every major London submarket.

End-of-lease strip-out

Partition removal

Structural & cosmetic repairs

Flooring reinstatement

Ceiling & M&E making-good

Full internal redecoration

Scott Schedule pricing

Lease handover documentation

Out-of-hours as standard. In occupied London buildings we work evenings, weekends, or floor by floor. If access windows are constrained by building management rules, we build the programme around them — not around us.

CHAS Accredited: Renova Projects UK holds CHAS accreditation — independently verifying our health & safety standards, insurance and competence on every project.

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Commercial office after dilapidations strip-out and reinstatement — Renova Projects UK cover all London boroughs

Common Situations

Which describes
your situation?

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City & West End Office

Schedule received, numbers look high

Your landlord's surveyor has issued a terminal schedule. The figures are based on contractor rates that include significant margin. We survey within 48 hours and return a fixed-price quote — giving you a defensible counter-position before you agree anything. Most of our clients save 20–40% against the landlord's initial claim simply by having their own priced schedule.

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Multi-Tenanted Building

Other occupiers still in situ

You're vacating floors 3 and 4 while floors 1, 2 and 5 remain occupied. Building management requires works to be phased, noisy operations restricted to permitted hours, and the service lift pre-booked. We coordinate directly with estate management, run a floor-by-floor programme, and complete handover without disrupting remaining occupiers.

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Tight Lease-End Deadline

Less time than you'd like

The lease end is six weeks away and the schedule only arrived last week. We can survey within 48 hours and mobilise immediately. We carry out works out of hours if needed to compress the programme. A tight deadline is manageable — leaving it to the landlord's contractors after expiry almost always costs significantly more.

Cost Guide

What do London office dilapidations
actually cost?

Scope	Typical range (per sq ft)	London factors
Light works Redecoration, minor repairs, basic making-good	£8 – £15	Paint specification, surface condition, access. City/Canary Wharf logistics may add 10–15%.
Mid-range works Strip-out, flooring reinstatement, ceiling repairs, redecoration	£15 – £25	Volume of tenant alterations, floor finish spec, M&E making-good, out-of-hours programme
Full reinstatement Complex fit-out removal, raised floors, major structural works	£25 – £45	Raised floor, ceiling grid reinstatement, specialist M&E, skip permit fees, phasing

Watch the add-ons. A typical London landlord's claim includes the building works plus 25–30% on top for professional fees (their surveyor, legal costs, project management). On a recent 800 sq ft City office, the works cost £14,200 — but the total claim including fees came to £19,800. Your own priced schedule gives you a figure to push back with.

Guide figures based on RICS data and recent London project experience. Actual costs depend on condition, specification, access constraints and the detail of your lease obligations. A free site survey is required for an accurate fixed-price quote.

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London Know-How

Why London dilapidations
need a London contractor

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Landlord agents & Scott Schedules

We regularly price against schedules prepared by Savills, JLL, Knight Frank, Cushman & Wakefield, CBRE and BNP Paribas Real Estate. We understand how each firm structures a Scott Schedule and what line items they inflate. Our priced counter-schedule consistently drives down the landlord's opening position — often by 20–35%.

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Red Routes, skip permits & City access

City of London skip permits require 5–10 working days' notice from the City Corporation. Red Route restrictions prevent stopping on major TfL routes — deliveries must be pre-planned into designated windows or service yards. In buildings with restricted service lifts and loading bays (common across Midtown, Southwark and Canary Wharf), we pre-book access weeks in advance. We handle all permit applications as part of the project programme.

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Out-of-hours & phased programmes

Most London dilapidations projects require some out-of-hours working. Multi-tenanted buildings restrict noisy strip-out to before 08:00 or after 18:00. Single-occupier buildings with tight handover dates often need weekend working. We build out-of-hours into the programme from day one — not as an afterthought — and price it into the fixed quote so there are no surprises.

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Section 18 & supersession

Section 18(1) of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927 caps your liability at the diminution in value of the landlord's reversion. If your landlord intends to redevelop, convert or substantially alter the building after you leave, your liability may be a fraction of the face value of the schedule. London's development pressure makes this argument more relevant here than almost anywhere else in the UK. We advise on the timing and help you engage the right surveyor to make the case.

Who We Work With

From City tenants
to portfolio landlords

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Commercial tenants

Businesses leaving London offices of any size. We survey quickly, price against the landlord's schedule, carry out the works, and manage handover — so you're done and dusted without it dragging on past lease end.

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Landlords & asset managers

Where a tenant is vacating and you need the space back to Cat A quickly to re-let, we work to your programme. We can take the building back to shell and core or deliver a Cat A+ specification ready for a new occupier.

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Chartered surveyors

We price works against Scott Schedules, provide structured cost breakdowns for negotiation, and can attend site alongside surveying teams. We understand RICS dilapidations protocol and work within it.

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Law firms & professional services

Large City and West End offices with substantial fit-outs. Often multi-floor, with bespoke M&E installations and high-spec finishes. We have experience pricing complex reinstatement obligations accurately.

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Property managing agents

Managing an estate where multiple tenants are simultaneously at lease end? We can resource multiple concurrent programmes and provide a single point of contact across all of them.

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Tenants in financial difficulty

When a business is restructuring or in administration, speed and cost control matter more than ever. We survey quickly, provide a realistic fixed price, and can sometimes compress programmes significantly to meet tight financial deadlines.

How It Works

From first call
to building handover

Within 48 hours

Free London site survey

We visit your office, assess the condition against your lease obligations, review the landlord's schedule if one has been issued, and identify any Section 18 arguments worth pursuing. No charge, no commitment.

3–5 working days

Fixed-price quote

A line-by-line fixed-price quote structured to mirror the landlord's schedule, so you can put it directly back against their claim. No contingency padding, no day-rate surprises.

Agreed programme

Works to your timetable

We obtain all required permits (skip, hoarding, parking dispensation), brief building management, and carry out works to the agreed programme — including out-of-hours where building rules require it.

Clean handover

Handover documentation

We provide photographic evidence of completion, completion certificate, and any warranties required. We walk the space with you and the landlord's surveyor if needed and resolve any snagging on the spot.

Why Renova

Six reasons London tenants
choose us

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Fixed price, no surprises

Every London dilapidations project is priced as a fixed contract. The quote you receive after the survey is the price you pay. We don't add day-rate supplements for out-of-hours working — it's built in from the start.

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48-hour survey turnaround

We can be on site anywhere in London within 48 hours. If your lease end is close, speed matters — every week you delay after expiry is a week the landlord's costs are accumulating against you.

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CHAS accredited

CHAS accreditation is a requirement at many London managed buildings and multi-let developments. We hold it as standard — you won't be turned away from a building because your contractor isn't on the approved list.

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Surveyor collaboration

We work alongside your surveyor throughout — providing structured cost breakdowns, attending joint inspections, and pricing against each line of the Scott Schedule so your surveyor has the numbers they need to negotiate effectively.

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Full London coverage

All 33 boroughs. City of London, Canary Wharf, West End, South Bank, Shoreditch, Hammersmith, Croydon — we have current experience across every major London submarket and know the building management requirements at each.

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Single contract, all trades

Strip-out, plastering, flooring, ceilings, decorating, M&E making-good — all under one contract. You don't coordinate multiple subcontractors or manage a programme. We do that.

Coverage

Every London borough
and the wider South East

Central & Inner London

Our most active area — City offices, West End HQs, South Bank, Southwark, Shoreditch and Midtown. We know the building management requirements and permit processes across all of them.

City of London Canary Wharf West End South Bank Shoreditch Southwark Midtown Holborn Clerkenwell Aldgate Tower Hill Waterloo Elephant & Castle Victoria Paddington Hammersmith Vauxhall

Outer London

Strong coverage across all outer boroughs — Croydon, Bromley, Sutton, Harrow, Wembley, Romford and beyond. Same fixed-price approach, same 48-hour survey turnaround.

Croydon Bromley Sutton Kingston Wimbledon Harrow Wembley Ealing Uxbridge Romford Ilford Stratford Barking Enfield Tottenham Lewisham

South East England

Based in Westerham, Kent — 25 minutes from the M25 — we cover the full South East commercial market: Kent, Surrey, Essex and the Thames Estuary corridor.

Dartford Sevenoaks Maidstone Tonbridge Guildford Crawley Tunbridge Wells Brentwood Chelmsford

Not sure if we cover your location?

We cover the full M25 corridor and travel widely across the South East for the right project. If your office is outside our standard coverage area, get in touch and we'll confirm.

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FAQs

London dilapidations
questions answered

How much do office dilapidations cost in London? ▼

London dilapidations typically cost £8–£15 per sq ft for light works (redecoration, minor repairs), £15–£25 for mid-range works (strip-out, flooring, ceilings), and £25–£45 for full reinstatement of heavily altered offices. City of London and Canary Wharf locations attract a 10–15% logistics premium on top — Red Route restrictions, out-of-hours delivery windows, and multi-tenanted building coordination all add programme time and cost. We provide fixed-price quotes after a free site survey within 48 hours.

What does Section 18 mean for my London dilapidations liability? ▼

Section 18(1) of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927 caps your liability at the diminution in value of the landlord's reversion — not the face value of the schedule. If your landlord intends to redevelop, convert or substantially alter the building after you leave, your liability may be a fraction of what they've claimed. London's development pressure makes this argument particularly relevant — many City fringe and inner London buildings are being converted to residential or comprehensively refurbished. Raise this early, backed by a surveyor's diminution valuation, before accepting any settlement figures.

Which landlord agents do you deal with in London? ▼

We regularly price against schedules prepared by Savills, JLL, Knight Frank, Cushman & Wakefield, CBRE, BNP Paribas Real Estate, Colliers and Carter Jonas, as well as smaller specialist dilapidations surveyors. We understand how each firm structures a Scott Schedule and what figures they tend to inflate. Having a contractor-priced counter-schedule consistently reduces the final settlement figure — often by 20–35% against the landlord's opening position.

Can you carry out dilapidations works in the City or Canary Wharf? ▼

Yes — regularly. City of London works require skip permit applications to the City Corporation (5–10 working days), Red Route logistics planning, and noise compliance under the City's Code of Construction Practice. Canary Wharf Estate has its own contractor induction requirements, pre-registered delivery vehicles, site-specific RAMS and restricted access windows. We know these requirements and build them into programme and pricing from the outset — they're not surprises to us.

How far in advance should I start the London dilapidations process? ▼

Ideally 12–18 months before lease expiry. A pre-terminal audit at that stage gives you time to carry out works to your own programme, at your chosen price, without being rushed into a settlement. In London — where landlords' surveyors are aggressive and agents like Savills and JLL know the market inside out — going in without your own priced schedule is a significant disadvantage. We can survey at any stage, but earlier is always better.

Can you work out of hours in occupied London buildings? ▼

Yes. Out-of-hours working is standard practice for dilapidations in multi-tenanted London buildings where other occupiers remain in situ. Noisy works — strip-out, drilling, chasing — are carried out before 08:00 or after 18:00 as required. Quiet works (painting, flooring) typically run during the day. We confirm permitted working hours with building management before the programme is set and price out-of-hours working into the fixed quote from the start.

Free Survey

Get a fixed-price quote
for your London office

Tell us where the office is, when the lease ends, and whether you've received a schedule. We'll be in touch within 4 business hours to arrange a site survey — usually within 48 hours of your call.

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Free site survey — no charge, no commitment

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Survey within 48 hours, fixed-price quote in 3–5 days

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Fixed price — no surprises, no day-rate supplements

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Or call directly: 020 3393 9600

Enquire about London dilapidations

Lease end approaching? Acting before expiry means you control the contractor, the spec and the cost. Once the lease ends, the landlord appoints their own contractors — and recovers the full cost from you, plus 25–30% in professional fees.