The short answer
A roof dilapidations survey sets down what state a roof is in as a lease ends and measures that against the tenant's repairing obligations. It lists defects such as slipped slates, failed flashings, blocked gutters and worn flat roof coverings, with photographs and a view on what repair is needed. Landlords use it to frame a claim and tenants use it to test one. The lease wording decides who pays.
What dilapidations means for a roof
Dilapidations is the term for disrepair at the end of a tenancy. Commercial leases commonly require the tenant to keep the premises in repair and hand them back in a stated condition. Where the tenant has fallen short, the landlord can ask for the work to be done, or for money in place of it. The paperwork that sets out the claim is called a schedule of dilapidations. Damages for disrepair are capped by section 18 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927 at the amount by which the breach reduces the value of the landlord's interest, and RICS publishes professional guidance on dilapidations for surveyors on both sides.
The roof matters because it is costly. A stripped slate slope, a failing lead gutter or a worn flat roof membrane can account for a large part of a claim. Whether the tenant is liable at all depends on the wording of the lease. Some leases make the tenant responsible for the roof, some exclude it, and many sit between the two, for example by requiring repair but not renewal. A shared building may place the roof under a service charge instead.
We are roofers and do not give legal advice. A solicitor or a building surveyor who handles dilapidations should read the lease. What we provide is the roof evidence: what is wrong, why, and what a proper repair involves.
What the survey records
The survey is a factual inspection of the roof, written up so that someone who has never seen the building can follow it. A good roof section includes:
- the type and age of each covering, such as natural slate, plain tile, pantile, lead, felt, EPDM or GRP, and what the lease says about it;
- defects by location, with photographs, for example slipped slates on the rear slope or an open seam on the flat roof;
- the likely cause of each one, such as nail failure, a blocked outlet, or a crack in the lead gutter lining;
- a description of the repair needed, and whether it is localised repair or something wider;
- the condition of gutters, downpipes, flashings, chimneys, rooflights and any parapet gutter;
- notes on what could not be seen, and why.
A parapet gutter is the drainage channel tucked behind the raised edge wall of the roof, lined in lead or a membrane. These are often missed in a quick look because they cannot be seen from the street, yet they are a classic source of damp in older commercial buildings. A flashing is the metal strip that seals the junction between a roof and the masonry beside it. Both deserve their own entry.
Repair, renewal and the difference between them
One of the biggest arguments in a roof claim is whether the work needed is repair or renewal. A tenant who must repair is not normally expected to replace a roof that is merely old and has run its natural course, but the lease and the facts decide this. Our part is to describe the roof honestly.
The questions we try to answer are these. Is the fault local, such as a handful of slipped slates, or general, such as nail sickness across the slope? Would a repair last, or would it only cover a roof that is wearing out? Has the damage come from neglect, or from age and weather? A roof that is failing everywhere is a very different matter from one with a few defects that a day's work would fix.
Typical lifespans vary a great deal with the covering, the exposure and how well it was first laid, and a figure from a trade guide is a typical range, not a promise. For that reason a roof report that gives a reasoned view on how old the covering is and how it is holding up is more use than one that simply lists faults.
Who uses a dilapidations roof survey
Both sides do, for opposite reasons.
A landlord uses it near the end of the lease, or when a tenant leaves, to set out the faults, and the price of curing them. A survey done in good time lets the claim be framed clearly and the works planned, rather than discovered after the keys are back.
A tenant uses it to see the roof as it really is before they are asked to pay. A tenant can also commission one early, to make repairs while there is time, or at the start of the lease to record the condition on day one. Dated photographs from the beginning of a tenancy are very useful at the end of it.
Surveyors and solicitors acting for either side often ask a roofer for a specialist view on a particular item. If a schedule says the roof needs complete replacement, an independent opinion on whether repair would do can alter the figure a great deal.
If you want to understand who does what, our page on roofer or surveyor explains where each fits.
How to prepare for a lease-end roof inspection
A little preparation makes the survey quicker and the result more useful.
- Find the lease. Have the repairing clauses and any condition record from the start of the tenancy to hand.
- Gather the history. Invoices, guarantees and earlier survey reports for roof work show what has been done and when.
- Arrange safe access. A roof hatch, a fixed ladder or a flat roof edge needs to be reachable. If access is awkward, tell the surveyor in advance.
- Clear gutters and outlets. Cleaning them first removes a common and easily avoided item from the schedule.
- Fix the small things. A slipped slate or a loose flashing found now costs far less than the same item priced into a claim.
- Take your own photographs. They give you a record of the condition on your own date.
You can also check what you can see yourself before the visit. A good starting point is our guide to how to inspect a roof from the ground.
Neighbouring works and other things that affect the roof
Not every defect comes from the tenant. Storm damage, a neighbour's building work, or an existing fault that predates the lease can all show up on a survey. A fair report notes these and does not simply charge them to whoever holds the lease. If you suspect that works next door have damaged your roof, our page on roof damage from neighbour building work explains how to record it.
Listed buildings and conservation areas add another layer, and any repair has to respect it. Matching what is there is usually the safe route, but changes to the covering or its detailing may need consent from the council, which for Bath is B&NES. A survey should flag this so a landlord does not specify work that cannot be done as described.
Where we can help is in the roof evidence. We survey commercial and residential roofs in Bath and the 30 road miles around it, give you pictures showing the roof as found, and set out repair without trade jargon, and the fixed price is set out in writing afterwards. Ring 01225 285181 or use the enquiry form. For the full range, see our roof inspections page.
