Tenant Dilapidations Surveyor Portsmouth

Standing up to the large corporate firms

We want Portsmouth tenants to know one thing above all: an intimidating claim from a big-name surveying firm is not the unchallengeable document it appears to be. Many landlord claims are prepared by large national or corporate practices, and they arrive long, detailed and confidently presented, designed to feel final. In reality, a great deal of what they contain is negotiable, and a polished schedule is not necessarily an accurate one. We are not remotely intimidated by the major firms. We handle their claims regularly, we recognise the familiar inflations and tactics, and we take genuine satisfaction in holding them to account item by item. Our tenants get a senior chartered surveyor personally challenging every element of the claim, matching the landlord’s expertise and applying it entirely in the tenant’s interest. Having saved clients over one million pounds through dilapidations negotiation, much of it by robustly contesting claims that others might have accepted, we know how much difference determined, expert representation makes.

How we defend your dilapidations claim

Our method is thorough and aimed squarely at reducing your liability to the minimum properly owed. We begin by reviewing your lease, including the repairing, decorating, reinstatement and yielding-up obligations, together with any schedule of condition and alteration licences, to establish what you are actually responsible for. We then inspect the property and work through the landlord’s claim item by item, stripping out anything that is not your liability, that amounts to betterment, that is overstated, or that is defeated by the lease or a schedule of condition. We assess the Section 18 cap, which can limit your liability to the genuine loss in value to the landlord’s interest, frequently far below the cost of the works claimed. Finally, we prepare your formal response and negotiate directly with the landlord’s surveyor, pressing hard on the evidence to reach a fair settlement. Our roof and high-level inspections use drone technology as standard and at no additional cost.

What kind of tenant we help in Portsmouth

We act for commercial occupiers of every kind across Portsmouth, including office tenants at Lakeside North Harbour and in the city centre, retail and leisure occupiers at Gunwharf and Southsea, marine and industrial tenants on Portsea Island, and businesses leaving premises toward Fareham, Havant and Waterlooville. Whether you are a small business facing a first claim or an established occupier exiting a larger unit, you receive the same senior, determined representation. And if your lease has not yet ended, involving us early gives us the best opportunity to plan, budget and reduce your exposure before a claim is even made.

When to come to us

Come to us as early as you can, ideally before the lease ends, or as soon as a schedule of dilapidations or claim arrives. These claims often follow strict Dilapidations Protocol timescales, and early advice gives us the most scope to protect you. That said, even if a claim has been outstanding for some time or talks have stalled, it is seldom too late for us to improve your position. Above all, do not simply pay a Portsmouth landlord’s opening claim without having it independently checked, because that figure is so often negotiable.

Common items we challenge in Portsmouth dilapidations claims

Long experience acting for tenants means we know exactly where Portsmouth claims tend to overreach. We routinely challenge demands for full roof or cladding replacement where the lease requires only repair, something especially common on coastal and marine-exposed buildings where weathering is blamed on the tenant; redecoration beyond the true obligation; reinstatement of alterations that were licensed or that the landlord would rather retain; service and finish upgrades that amount to betterment; and professional fees or loss of rent that are not properly recoverable. On Portsea Island’s industrial and marine premises we pay particular attention to claims for corrosion and weather damage that frequently pre-dates the tenant’s occupation. Every item we strip out is money saved.

Tenant-only, with no conflict of interest

When you choose who defends your claim, alignment matters. We will not act for your landlord. RICS rules prevent a firm from acting for both sides of the same dilapidations claim, and when we act for a tenant we are entirely and only on your side. If you have ever worried that a surveyor juggling landlord work elsewhere might soften their approach, that is never an issue with us on your claim. Our sole focus is the minimum you are genuinely liable for and the strongest evidence-led route to it. That undivided commitment to your interests, together with our readiness to take on the biggest landlord-side firms, is what shapes the final figure you pay.

Our fees are usually structured in two stages.

1. The initial review and response
2. Negotiation to settlement

Stage 1 – Initial review and response

For the initial review and response stage we base these on a fixed amount based on the property size, as per the table below.

Stage 2 – Negotiations

For this stage we typically offer incentivised fees which are linked to the amount of saving we achieve, calculated from the Landlord’s original claim and the subsequently agreed settlement figure. We typically apply a percentage of between 5% and 10% depending on the size and complexity of the claim and in some cases for large claims we can agree a fee cap.

We can also offer our fees on an hourly rate of £175 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’.