There are a lot of reasons a business may decide to relocate. Business relocations happen all the time. Sometimes a business grows and needs a bigger premises. Sometimes a commercial lease is set to renew and the business doesn’t like the terms or has found something better. Sometimes a business gets smaller or has more people working offsite, requiring a smaller office. Sometimes business needs change and the old office isn’t fit for purpose anymore due to location or facility features. There are many reasons why a business may move.

Regardless of your business’ need for moving, there’s a lot that needs to happen both at the old office and the new one. One of the things that has to happen at the old office is the make good.

What Is An End Of Lease Make Good?

An end of lease make good is the process of getting a commercial building back to its original state.

Unlike a residential lease, where tenants don’t make many changes to the property, in a commercial lease, it’s expected that the tenant will have a full commercial fit-out down. Often a commercial building is given to a tenant as an empty shell; it’s up to the tenant to install their own signage, carpeting, painting, partitions, and more. While this varies from tenancy to tenancy, it’s always expected that a tenant will make some alterations to a building.

A make good is the process of removing the alterations that a tenant has made, returning the building back to how it was at the beginning of a lease.

Are All Make Goods The Same?

No, every make good is different. What happens at a make good will depend on what is in the commercial lease contract and what’s been agreed upon between the commercial landlord and the tenant. As mentioned, in many cases, the tenant is leased an empty building and they’re then expected to return it back to how it was. However, in some cases, the building may have existing fixtures or upgrades such as carpeting, and because of that, these things aren’t expected to be removed. In other circumstances, the tenant may have upgraded the premises in some way and the landlord will agree that they can and should remain.

The exact nature of a make good and what’s included will often be negotiated with the landlord. From there, commercial builders like A1 Precision Solutions can come in to complete the work that’s been agreed upon. We can then work with both the tenant and the landlord to ensure the work has been done to a high enough standard.

When Should A Make Good Be Organised?

If your business is planning on moving, speak with us as soon as possible to start talking about your make good. Depending on the size of the make good, the time it will take can vary. Having this information will help when working with your landlord to ensure you get your business out in a timely manner and avoid any penalties. We can also help plan the make good in conjunction with the relocation so that the whole process goes smoothly.