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Case Information
Business Type:
Boutique
Category:
Dilapidations Claim
Date:
04 November, 2024
Protecting a Tenant Against a Heavy-Handed Dilapidations Claim
A tenant operating a boutique retail store approached us after vacating their rented premises. Shortly after moving out, they received a dilapidations claim from the landlord demanding nearly £40,000 in alleged repairs and reinstatement costs. The landlord's claim included:
Full redecoration
Replacement of flooring
External repairs to the building fabric
Extensive roof work
Many items seemed unrelated to the tenant’s use or responsibilities under the lease, leaving the client feeling overwhelmed and unsure how to respond.
How Lease Lawyers helped:
- Review the lease and repairing covenants
- Review the property condition at the start and end of the tenancy
- Review photographic and written evidence from the client
- Demonstrated that many of the repairs related to general wear and tear
- Proved certain issues pre-existed the tenancy
- Highlighted that some demanded works were improvements, not genuine repairs
- Through negotiation, we achieved a final settlement of £12,000 - a saving of £28,000 for the client
The client avoided an unnecessary financial hit and was able to move forward with peace of mind, without resorting to costly court action.