Get Clear On Make Good Before The Handover Becomes Expensive

The consultation usually deals with what your lease says about returning the premises and how that wording may apply to your situation. That can include reinstatement, removal of fit-out, repairs, cleaning, repainting, or restoring the premises to an earlier condition. We may also discuss related documents or factual issues that affect the reading of the clause, such as approvals for alterations, side arrangements, photos, condition reports or fit-out history. The aim is to give you a clearer view of the lease position before handover discussions become more difficult.

This service is commonly used by tenants nearing the end of a lease, planning an exit, or trying to understand a landlord demand before responding. It can also be useful for landlords who want an independent view of what the lease appears to require before handover or settlement discussions begin. It is particularly relevant where the premises changed during the term, the fit-out evolved over time, or the clause is short and open to more than one reading. Those are the situations where uncertainty can become costly.

Yes. That is one of the main reasons businesses seek make good advice. These clauses are often brief, negotiated in pieces, or affected by later fit-out works and informal approvals. We can review the wording and explain where competing interpretations may come from, what factual material may matter, and which issues are likely to carry the most weight in a practical dispute. That does not mean a particular outcome can be predicted, but it can give you a more grounded basis for deciding how to respond or what evidence to gather.

Broader work may be needed if the issue moves beyond interpreting the make good clause and into active negotiations, a formal dispute, or a wider lease exit strategy. For example, you may also need help with a deed of surrender, lease termination issues, assignment documents, or correspondence about contested handover costs. This page is for a one-off advice service on make good obligations, not the broader support you might need across the whole lease matter. If that broader work is required, it can be quoted separately.

After the advice is provided, you can use it to plan the next step with more clarity. That may involve preparing for handover, obtaining quotes, collecting records about alterations, checking the condition of the premises, or deciding whether to raise issues with the landlord or tenant. The consultation gives you a chance to test practical questions against the lease wording. If the matter later turns into a negotiation or dispute, that work is not automatically included, but we can discuss a separate scope if needed.

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