Schedule of Condition
A photographic and written record of a property’s condition at a defined point in time, prepared by an RICS Chartered Surveyor. Used in Party Wall matters, lease entry and exit, dilapidations and before works to a neighbouring property.
What a Schedule of Condition is.
A Schedule of Condition is a structured record of the condition of a building at the time of inspection. It is not a survey: it does not interpret defects or recommend repairs. It evidences exactly what was there, in what condition, on the date it was inspected.
Properly prepared, it is a defensible document. It is signed, dated, structured against a clear schedule of building elements, and supported by numbered photographs. Both parties to a future dispute can refer to it without ambiguity.
When you need one.
Party Wall matters
A Schedule of Condition records the relevant parts of an adjoining property before works commence, providing a baseline against which any subsequent allegation of damage can be assessed. This is common in Party Wall matters and can also be useful where neighbouring works fall outside the Act.
Lease commencement
For an incoming tenant, a Schedule of Condition can record the premises as found at the beginning of the lease. Where incorporated appropriately into the lease documentation, it can help define the condition in which the tenant is required to maintain or return the premises.
Dilapidations
A historic Schedule of Condition can become important evidence when assessing a tenant’s repairing obligations at lease expiry, by showing the condition of the premises at the start of the term. Dilapidations themselves remain governed by the terms of the lease.
Before construction
A Schedule of Condition can be prepared before works commence to record the condition of neighbouring buildings, retained areas or other property that could potentially be affected. This can help resolve later disagreements over whether damage was pre-existing.
What’s included.
Structured schedule
Every accessible element, room by room and elevation by elevation.
Detailed photography
Each item photographed, numbered and cross-referenced to the schedule.
Plain-English description
Material, condition, defects visible at the date of inspection.
Signed & dated
Prepared and signed by an RICS Chartered Surveyor.
How an instruction runs.
Access
We confirm access arrangements with the relevant parties.
Inspection
Half a day to a full day on site, depending on size.
Draft
A draft is shared within three to five working days.
Issue
Final signed PDF, suitable for service on the relevant parties.
Frequently asked.
Can a Schedule of Condition stop a dispute?
It cannot prevent one being raised, but it almost always shortens it. With an agreed baseline, both parties begin from the same evidence and the scope of the disagreement is much narrower.
Is photographic evidence enough on its own?
No. Photographs without a structured written schedule are easily challenged. The combination of both, signed and dated, is the document that holds up.
Other services our clients ask for.
Party Wall Surveyors in London.
Independent, RICS-regulated Party Wall surveyors acting for Building Owners undertaking works and Adjoining Owners protecting their property. Serving notices, agreeing Awards, preparing…
Learn more →Dilapidations Surveys
Advice on repair liability under a lease, for landlords preparing a claim and for tenants responding to one. Schedules of dilapidations, costed…
Learn more →Pre-Construction Advisory
Independent, RICS-led review of a project before construction begins. Buildability, cost plan, programme, procurement and risk, interrogated at the point where changes…
Learn more →Evidence on the record, before it matters.
Tell us the property and why the schedule is needed. We confirm scope and timing the same working day.