commercial property: landlord inspection

[10032012]

It has been just little under 6 months since I entered into a lease... now the commercial estate agency (not the landlord) wishes to inspect the property on Mon 23rd December.

What do these inspections involve? Are they normal? (the lease makes no mention of it - the landlord only has the right to access of the property for repairs etc. under the agreement)

 

[Moneyman]

I always have my let properties inspected after 3 months, then 6 months then yearly. It saves finding out what sort of tenant one has only when they leave. I have had tenants keeping rubbish in the upstairs bedroom for years or making alterations etc.
As a landlord you would be an idiot not to.

 

[kulture]

Ask the agent an what basis they want to inspect, and where in the lease it says they can do this. Ask them what they are looking for and what would they do after the inspection.

 

[10032012]

Thanks for the replies - I will ask on Monday.

I get the feeling that the landlord doesn't even know about the "landlord inspection" so I might contact them to find out whether or not they have such an arrangement. (The landlord is only contactable through their overly stretched legal department... so fingers crossed... )

I was under the impression that these were only a residential thing and only when the estate agent was the letting agent (i.e. managing the property and collecting rent etc).

The lease is the typical FRI so the landlord has no responsibility for repairs or insurance. The company as party to the lease is obligated to make good the property at the end.

Even if the agent has been paid by the landlord for the inspection, in contrast to the lease, am I within my rights to refuse entry? I am not in a position to direct the landlord to make changes to the property (be it structural or replacing a light bulb etc.) so its clearly not an inspection to check the property is in a reasonable state. Furthermore, there is no shared or communal areas of the property... its all self-contained.

 

[Moneyman]

oh sorry commercial property. You are renting the space and are probably not responsible for the structure and repairs to it. therefor the landlord will still want to check on the structure...a good thing for both of you.

 

[lockyer]

he is more than likely responsible for the structure and repairs to it under a commercial lease

 

[FirstClassVirtualOffice]

It might sound suspicious that you are against them making an inspection. What's wrong with them coming to have a look around? I suppose if your argument is letting the agency inspect when they have no right then fair enough, but perhaps get it confirmed that the inspection is with the Landlord's agreement, probably because they are the managing agent perhaps?