This could include:

• An accurate assessment, commissioned by you, of what repairs/reinstatements need to be undertaken to comply with the terms of your lease
• Establish what redecoration has to be undertaken (as stated in the lease)
• Realistic and validated costs you will be liable for
• Interrogate the validity of any end-of-lease related claims made by the landlord and if they can be legally capped
• Undertake a robust negotiation to ensure that any settlements with the landlord are valid and equitable to both parties

The landlord’s claim, presented as a ‘Terminal Schedule of Dilapidations’, will probably be served in the last six months of the lease. It will include a detailed list of identified:

• Breaches/work deemed necessary to comply with the lease terms
• Remedial actions required
• Costs associated with the above

Beware: not all Schedule items, identified by the landlord, are deemed a breach of tenant’s covenants. You can challenge them, but your rebuttals must be validated – and stand up to legal interrogation.