Protecting the value of your commercial property at lease end. We act for landlords and investors across Southampton, preparing robust schedules of dilapidations and recovering what your tenant genuinely owes.
When a commercial tenant’s lease ends in Southampton, the condition in which they leave your property directly affects its value and its readiness to re-let or sell. Bressummer A.R.K. are RICS chartered building surveyors acting for commercial landlords, investors and asset managers across Southampton and Hampshire, preparing and negotiating dilapidations claims that recover the genuine cost of a tenant’s breaches of their lease obligations. Based just north of the city near Winchester, we know the local market, and we build claims that are properly evidenced, defensible and effective.
Why Southampton landlords need expert dilapidations advice
A dilapidations claim is your means, as a landlord, of recovering the cost of remedying a tenant’s breaches of their repairing, decorating and reinstatement covenants at the end of their lease. On Southampton commercial property, much of it held on full repairing and insuring (FRI) terms across offices in the city centre and Ocean Village, industrial and warehouse units around the docks, Millbrook and the M27 corridor, and retail across the city, the sums at stake can be significant. But a claim only achieves its purpose if it is properly prepared. A schedule that overreaches, includes items that are not recoverable, or is not backed by evidence and a sound understanding of the lease will be picked apart by the tenant’s surveyor and will recover far less than it should. Our job is to prepare a claim that stands up to scrutiny and secures you the maximum you are genuinely entitled to.
How much does a dilapidations surveyor cost in Southampton?
Our fees are usually structured in two stages.
The initial schedule
Negotiation of claim
Stage 1 – Initial review and response
For producing an interim or terminal dilapidations schedule in Winchester our fees are mainly linked to the property size, as outlined in the table below.
Property Size (sq ft)
Estimated Fees (exclusive of VAT)
Under 1,000
< £1,200
1,000 – 2,000
£1,200 – £1,500
2,000 – 5,000
£1,500 – £2,000
5,000 – 10,000
£2,000 – £3,000
10,000 +
£2,500+
Stage 2 – Negotiations
This stage entails professional representation for Landlords in discussing and negotiating the claim with the Tenant and/or their appointed surveyors or agents. We typically charge our fees for this stage on a percentage fee of between 5 and 10% of the final agreed settlement figure or on an hourly rate of £185 per hour (plus VAT).
All our fees are fully inclusive of travel, office and disbursement costs in order to carry out our services, with no ‘hidden extras’.
Don’t leave value on the table, talk to us about your lease end dilapidation requirements.
It’s good to talk.
It’s important, in order for us to understand your requirements from the outset in order to give the best commercial building consultancy advice we can.
We contacted Bressummer A.R.K. to carry out a dilapidation survey on one of our rental units, from the initial contact through to receiving the report, the communication was first class, the day before the survey we had to notify Bressummer A.R.K. that we needed to reschedule, this wasn’t an issue for them, they were able to fit us in within a few days of the original date.
We would highly recommend this company and will most certainly use them again for future surveys.
Simon White - New Barn Holdings
A properly built claim that protects your position
The strength of a dilapidations claim lies in its preparation, and this is where our expertise makes the difference for Southampton landlords. We prepare claims that are grounded in the precise terms of the lease and supported by thorough inspection and clear evidence, so that every item can be justified. This matters for two reasons. First, a well evidenced claim recovers more, because the tenant’s surveyor has far less room to challenge it. Second, dilapidations is governed by the Dilapidations Protocol, which sets out how claims should be made and responded to, and a claim that follows the Protocol and is realistic in its costing carries weight, whereas an inflated or poorly supported one invites dispute and delay. We have acted on both sides of dilapidations claims and know exactly how tenant surveyors seek to reduce them, which is precisely why the claims we prepare for landlords are so robust. Our roof and high-level inspections use drone technology as standard and at no additional cost.
Our dilapidations services for Southampton landlords
We provide the full range of landlord-side dilapidations services. We prepare interim schedules of dilapidations during the lease term, where a tenant’s failure to maintain the property needs to be addressed before lease end. We prepare terminal schedules of dilapidations at or near the end of the lease, setting out the tenant’s breaches and the cost of remedying them. We serve quantified demands in line with the Dilapidations Protocol, and we negotiate directly with the tenant or their surveyor to achieve the best recoverable settlement. Where a claim cannot be settled by negotiation, we can provide expert advice through to dispute resolution. And we advise on the commercial options at lease end, including whether to carry out the works, accept a financial settlement, or factor the condition into a re-letting or sale, so your decision is informed by sound surveying advice.
Recovering the value in your asset
For a landlord or investor, dilapidations is ultimately about protecting the value of the asset. A building returned in poor repair is worth less, takes longer to re-let or sell, and may need significant expenditure before it can be brought back to the market. A well-handled dilapidations claim either secures the funds to put the property right, or compensates you for the diminution in its value, and in each case restores the position you are entitled to under the lease. We help Southampton landlords see dilapidations not as an administrative formality at lease end but as a genuine opportunity to recover value, and we pursue that value with rigour and commercial good sense.
Who we act for in Southampton
We act for the full range of property owners across Southampton, including private and commercial landlords, property investors, pension funds and institutional owners, and the asset and property managers who act on their behalf. Whether you own a single let property or a substantial portfolio across the city, we bring the same rigorous, commercially minded approach to recovering what your tenants owe. We do not, of course, act for both landlord and tenant on the same claim, so when we act for you as landlord, our focus is entirely on protecting your interest.
When to instruct us
The best time to take advice is well before the lease ends, ideally twelve to eighteen months out, so that an interim or terminal schedule can be prepared in good time and served at the optimal moment under the Protocol. Early advice also lets you plan strategically, whether your aim is to have the tenant carry out the works, to recover a financial settlement, or to take the property back for refurbishment or redevelopment. That said, if a lease has recently ended or is about to, it is rarely too late for us to act, and we can move quickly to protect your position. The key point for any Southampton landlord is not to let a tenant’s breaches go unaddressed, because an unclaimed dilapidations liability is value lost from your asset.
What a Southampton landlord can recover
A well-prepared claim typically covers the cost of remedying disrepair to the structure and fabric, including roofs, walls, windows and floors; making good damage and wear beyond fair wear and tear; redecoration where the lease requires it; the reinstatement of alterations the tenant made under licence, where reinstatement was required; and the removal of the tenant’s fit-out, signage and equipment. On Southampton’s industrial and dockside units we frequently recover for worn floor slabs, damaged loading doors, and roof and cladding repairs, while on offices the reinstatement of partitioning and finishes is often significant. Alongside the works themselves, properly recoverable professional fees and, in appropriate cases, loss of rent during the works can form part of the claim. We identify every genuine head of claim so that nothing recoverable is left on the table.
Understanding the diminution cap, and how we work with it
Landlords should be aware of Section 18 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927, which can limit a dilapidations recovery to the amount by which the disrepair has reduced the value of your interest in the property. In practice this means a claim cannot exceed the genuine loss you have suffered, and a tenant’s surveyor will often raise diminution to try to cap the figure. This is precisely why expert preparation matters: we assess the claim with the diminution position firmly in mind, present it in a way that reflects your true loss, and are ready to address diminution arguments head-on. Where you intend to carry out the works, or to re-let or refurbish, those intentions bear directly on the diminution position, and we advise you on how best to protect your recovery in light of your plans for the property.
Acting for a tenant instead? See our tenant dilapidation pages for Southampton.
What is the difference between an interim and a terminal schedule?
An interim schedule is served during the lease term, to require a tenant to remedy breaches before the lease ends. A terminal schedule is prepared at or near the end of the lease, covering all outstanding breaches and the cost of putting them right.
How do you maximise what I recover?
By preparing a claim grounded in the precise lease terms and supported by thorough inspection and clear evidence, so that it is robust and difficult for the tenant’s surveyor to challenge. A well-evidenced, Protocol-compliant claim recovers more than an inflated or poorly supported one.
Should I carry out the works or take a settlement?
It depends on your plans for the property. If you intend to re-let or sell as-is, a financial settlement may suit; if you need the property in good order, having the works done may be preferable. We advise on the best commercial option for your situation.
Do you cover all of Southampton?
Yes. We act for landlords across Southampton and South Hampshire, including the city centre, Ocean Village, the docks, and the industrial and retail areas across the city. Being based near Winchester, we can act quickly.
Speak to a Southampton landlord dilapidations surveyor
If you are a commercial landlord or investor in Southampton with a lease approaching its end, or a tenant who has left a property in disrepair, it is good to talk. You will deal directly with a chartered building surveyor who will prepare a robust claim and recover what you are genuinely owed. Call us, email us, or book a consultation.
