A guide for landlords, tenants and building owners

Schedules of condition: a plain guide.

What a schedule of condition is, why it matters when a lease ends or a neighbour builds, what to record room by room, and who agrees it. With a checklist you can copy into your own form.

See the checklist Start reading

Covers England and Wales. Checked against GOV.UK, legislation.gov.uk, the Civil Procedure Rules and the RICS leasing code on 13 October 2026. Next review by 13 April 2027. Not legal advice.

What it is

A dated record of a property, as it is today.

A schedule of condition records the state of a property on a given day. It describes each part in writing, usually backed by photographs, so that anyone can see later what was already there.

It has two common uses:

  • At the start of a lease. Attached to or kept with a business lease, so that the tenant's repairs can be measured against the condition when the property was let.
  • Before building work next door. Made of a neighbour's property before work under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 starts, so that any damage can be traced to the works.
"This is simply taking a record of the condition of the Adjoining Owner's property before the work starts."The Party Wall etc Act 1996: explanatory booklet, Appendix 1, GOV.UK, published 12 May 2016

It is not a view on what needs doing: that is the job of a condition survey.

Leases

Why a tenant wants one before signing.

Under a business lease the tenant often takes on repairs. The RICS code warns that, unless both sides agree otherwise, the fact that a property was in poor condition when the tenant took it on is "largely irrelevant": the tenant may still have to put it into good condition.

A common answer, especially on shorter leases, is that the tenant need not hand the property back in better condition than it was let. The code says what should happen then:

"the parties should record the condition of the property in a 'schedule of condition' to be referred to in the lease and attached to it or kept with it."RICS, Code for leasing business premises, 1st edition, February 2020, Appendix B8

In its lease terms, the code says that where the tenant's repairs are limited to the initial condition, "a schedule of condition will normally be required", and the two sides should agree who pays for it (section 7.2).

Two cautions

The code expects the lease to refer to the schedule. And leaving a defect out of the tenant's repairs does not by itself mean the landlord must fix it: if neither side is liable, it may stay as it is. It all turns on the wording, so take advice from a solicitor and a surveyor on your own lease.

When the lease ends

Dilapidations: what the schedule is compared with.

The RICS code describes dilapidations as the defects and disrepair a tenant must deal with, or pay to have put right, when it leaves. The schedule from the start is the record both sides check against.

At the start: the schedule of condition

  1. 1
    Made before the lease is granted.In good time for both sides to check and agree it.
  2. 2
    Records the state of each part.In words, photographs, or both.
  3. 3
    Kept with the lease.And referred to in it.

At the end: the schedule of dilapidations

  1. 1
    Sent by the landlord.Generally within 56 days after the tenancy ends.
  2. 2
    Item by item.The lease clause, the breach complained of, the works the landlord suggests and the landlord's costings.
  3. 3
    Answered on the same schedule.The tenant gives its view on each item.

The end-of-lease steps come from the Dilapidations Protocol in the Civil Procedure Rules, which covers commercial property in England and Wales. The law also limits the claim: section 18(1) of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927 says damages for breaking a repairing covenant "shall in no case exceed" the amount by which the value of the landlord's interest (the reversion) is reduced by the breach.

Our view: a dated photo of a crack taken on day one is far easier to rely on than anyone's memory, years later.

Building works next door

Party wall work: a record before the work starts.

The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 extends to England and Wales only. GOV.UK says you must tell your neighbours if you want to build on or at the boundary, work on an existing party wall or party structure, or dig below and near the foundation level of their property.

If the owners cannot agree, surveyors settle it with a party wall award. GOV.UK's booklet says the award:

"often contains a record of the condition of the adjoining property before the work begins"The Party Wall etc Act 1996: explanatory booklet, question 14, GOV.UK, published 12 May 2016

The record is there "so that any damage to the adjoining land or buildings can be properly attributed and made good". The Act says the building owner shall compensate adjoining owners and occupiers for any loss or damage that results from the work (section 7(2)).

Not required, but advised

The booklet says a schedule of condition is not a requirement of the Act, but calls it "most prudent". An adjoining owner can decline one, but if damage then occurs "it may be difficult to prove that the damage is attributable to the works".

The usual method: walls, floors, ceilings and anything else the works may affect, such as a garden fence, described in writing and "usually supported by photographs". Keep a copy of the award with your property deeds.

What to record

Describe what you see. Leave out what should be done.

Work in the same order every time so nothing is missed. Keep each note to the facts: where it is, what it looks like, how big it is.

  • The property and the day: the address, the date, who inspected and for whom, and the weather.
  • Outside: each elevation in turn, the roof as far as it can be seen safely, gutters and pipes, windows and doors, boundaries and paving.
  • Inside, room by room: ceiling, walls, floor, doors, windows, joinery and fittings, in the same order in every room.
  • Services and fittings, as seen: lights, sockets, radiators and sanitary fittings, not tested.
  • Photographs: numbered and dated, each tied to the room and the part it shows. A wide shot first, then a close-up of each defect.
  • Limits: anything you could not see or reach, and why.

Factual: keep it

  1. 1
    "Ceiling, north-east corner: brown stain about 300 mm across. Plaster appears sound. Photo 12."
  2. 2
    "Front elevation, left of door: hairline crack in render, about 600 mm long. Photo 14."

A judgement: leave it out

  1. 1
    "Ceiling needs replacing."That is advice on works, not a record.
  2. 2
    "Poor condition throughout."Too vague to check against later.

Schedule or survey?

It records. It does not plan works.

Both use photos and notes. They answer different questions.

Schedule of condition

  1. 1
    What is there, on this day?A fixed record to compare against later.
  2. 2
    Facts only.No repair advice, priorities or costs.
  3. 3
    Agreed by both sides.Kept with the lease or the party wall award.

Condition survey

  1. 1
    What needs doing, and when?A rating for each part and the works it needs.
  2. 2
    Judgement included.Priorities, and often a budget for planned works.
  3. 3
    For the owner's own planning.Repeated over the years. See our building condition survey guide.

Who agrees it

Made by one side, agreed by both.

For a lease, the RICS code says a formal photographic schedule can be prepared by a firm of surveyors, though some tenants make their own. If you do, it says to take "plenty of photographs of all parts of the property on or before taking the lease", have them dated and agreed by the landlord, and keep a set with the lease documents.

It recommends preparing the schedule in good time before the lease is granted, so both sides can check it and agree it as "an accurate record".

For party wall work, the record is often part of the award the surveyors make. Either way, our advice: have both sides sign it, or confirm in writing that it is agreed, and each keep a full copy with the photographs.

The checklist

A checklist for making a schedule of condition.

Use it as the headings for your own schedule, or to check someone else's. Free to copy and change. Our own recording aid, not an official form.

Before you start

  • The lease, or the party wall notice, it belongs to
  • Who is inspecting, and for whom
  • Access to every room, and the roof space where safe
  • The camera's date and time set correctly

Outside

  • Each elevation, in turn
  • The roof, as far as can be seen safely
  • Gutters, downpipes and drains, as seen
  • Windows, doors and frames
  • The party wall or shared structure itself
  • Boundaries, paving, fences and planting

Inside, room by room

  • Ceiling
  • Walls
  • Floor and its finish
  • Doors, windows and sills
  • Fixtures, fittings and decoration
  • Cracks, stains, damp or mould: where, and how big

Photographs

  • A number on every photo
  • The date on every photo
  • The room and the part it shows
  • A wide shot, then a close-up
  • A tape or scale beside cracks
  • An index matching photo numbers to notes

Before you leave

  • Anything not inspected, and why
  • The weather on the day
  • Services seen but not tested

Agree and keep it

  • Both sides check it before the lease is signed or work starts
  • Signed, initialled or agreed in writing
  • Referred to in the lease, or included in the award
  • A full copy, photos included, kept with the lease or deeds

SurveyNest on your phone

Keep the record on your phone with Lite.

Lite covers the whole building, inside and out. Keep each photograph and observation with the building element it describes.

See the Lite mobile app Book a demo

Invite only for now.

  1. 1

    Rate it

    Choose the building section. Rate its condition: urgent, repair needed, no repair, or not inspected.

  2. 2

    Snap it

    Photos and notes on every defect, up to 400 a survey. No signal? It saves on the phone.

  3. 3

    Send it

    Choose AI drafting if you want it. Your report returns as a draft for human review before issue.

SurveyNest has no schedule of condition report format today: Lite's report is a condition report. With Lite you keep each photograph and observation with the building element it describes; its ratings are repair judgements, so keep the factual description in your notes. Where evidence must stand up later, the Pro web app helps. Originals, unchanged: every file is fingerprinted when it arrives, so anyone can check it has not changed. Every change kept: records are added to, never overwritten: who changed what, and when. Keep your own agreed copy with the lease or deeds too.

More guides

When you need more than a record.

GuideBuilding condition surveysRating each part and planning the works: the survey that judges what the record only describes.Read the guide GuideRoof inspection reportAn example report and a template, with a checklist for the roof.Read the guide

Questions

Schedules of condition, answered.

Is a schedule of condition required by law?

Not in general. For party wall work, GOV.UK's booklet says it is not a requirement of the Act but is most prudent. For a lease, it matters when the lease limits the tenant's repairs by reference to it. Take advice on your own lease.

Is there a schedule of condition template?

There is no official form. Use the checklist on this page as the headings for your own: the property and the day, then outside and each room in the same order, with numbered, dated photographs and an index.

Who pays for it?

For a lease, the RICS code says the two sides should agree who is responsible for the cost of obtaining it. For party wall work, GOV.UK's booklet says the building owner usually pays the costs of drawing up the award, including the adjoining owner's surveyor's fees, where the works are solely for the building owner's benefit.

Does this guide cover Scotland or homes let to tenants?

No. It covers business leases and party wall work in England and Wales. GOV.UK says there are different party wall rules in Scotland. Residential tenancies are not covered here.

Sources

Where these facts come from.

Every fact about the law and practice on this page comes from these pages, read on 13 October 2026. The examples and checklist are our own. Not legal advice: take advice on your own lease or works.

SurveyNest by Surveys Ltd

Keep every photo with the part it shows.

Lite is invite only for now. Join the waitlist, or pick a time for a 15‑minute call with the team.

Join the waitlist Book a demo