Addressing floor condition before a dilapidations schedule is agreed
How floors look at the point a dilapidations schedule is drawn up can influence what's raised as an item to remedy.
- 1Cleaning ahead of a schedule of condition or dilapidations inspection
- 2Removes soiling that can be mistaken for damage
- 3Covers carpet, stone and vinyl throughout the demised premises
- 4Timed to allow full drying before a landlord's inspection
- 5We don't advise on dilapidations liability itself
Dilapidations schedules can include floor coverings, and the difference between fair wear and tear and something a landlord wants remedied often comes down to whether staining and soiling has ever actually been cleaned. A carpet that's simply dirty looks worse on paper than one that's been maintained and shows genuine end-of-term wear.
We're not surveyors and can't advise on dilapidations liability itself — that's a matter for your solicitor or building surveyor. What we can do is get carpet, stone and vinyl floors properly cleaned before any schedule of condition is agreed, so the assessment reflects the floor's real condition rather than accumulated grime.
This is most useful when arranged with enough lead time to book a full extraction clean and allow proper drying before any handback inspection.
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Why cleaned condition matters at handback
A stained carpet and a worn carpet can look similar at a glance, but one is remediable by cleaning and one isn't. Getting a proper clean done first means any remaining wear is clearly just wear.
The same applies to stone and vinyl floors, where scuffing and surface dirt can be mistaken for scratching or wear to the finish itself.
Timing against the lease end date
We work backwards from your lease expiry or agreed inspection date to make sure there's time for the floor to dry fully and for any issues we find to be flagged to you before the schedule is drawn up.
Leaving this to the final days rarely allows for full extraction cleaning and proper drying.
What we can and can't advise on
We can tell you what's cleanable, what's genuine wear, and what a floor looked like before and after treatment.
We can't advise on lease clauses, betterment, or what a landlord is entitled to claim — that's for your surveyor or solicitor.
Covering the whole demised area
Dilapidations schedules usually cover the full premises, so we quote for carpet, stone and vinyl across all floors rather than just the areas most visibly worn.
Before you sign anything
- • Cleaning before a schedule of condition helps distinguish soiling from genuine wear.
- • We work to your lease-end date, allowing proper drying time.
- • Dilapidations liability advice sits with your surveyor or solicitor, not us.
Practical questions
Related cleaning triggers
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Lease coming to an end?
Get floors cleaned before the schedule of condition is drawn up.