Case Study

Cambridge Science Park

Instructions were received to represent the former tenant, Vix Technology, defending against the Schedule of Dilapidations served by their landlord on their premises at Cambridge. This followed the landlord tendering and commencing the works.

Our response in accordance with the Dilapidations Protocol with key Section 18 (diminution assessment) rebuttal arguments advanced including:

• Landlord replacing M&E items instead of repairing so as to future-proof/upgrade (that they would have done so, whether or not “in repair” per se, as in the Sunlife case);
• Similar applied to other items, including suspended ceilings;
• Supersession of claimed internal decorations, by landlord’s choice to undertake more destructive works to upgrade, rather than simply repair.

Our unique combined use of both required disciplines of chartered Building Surveyors and chartered Valuation Surveyors therefore secured a settlement saving the client substantially on the landlord’s Schedule of Dilapidations.

The client confirmed:

“We were disappointed and surprised at the landlord’s dilapidations claim, as we had expensively refitted the offices. Dilapsolutions initially advised us that they expected a more realistic and reasonable assessment. We were delighted with the eventual settlement they secured. We have more recently had the benefit of a value-added complimentary lease advisory service from their sister consultancy Raeburn Consulting. A highly professional and joined-up service."