Office reinstatement: what landlords check before returning your deposit

Reinstatement is where a smooth lease can end badly. The landlord's inspector is checking against the tenancy agreement and the original base condition — and small misses can hold up your deposit.

The usual checklist

Ceilings and flooring returned to base, partitions removed, M&E and fire systems made good, walls repainted, and the space cleared and cleaned. Anything you added generally has to come out.

Where surprises come from

Three areas cause most disputes: partitions that interface with the ceiling grid, tenant-installed electrical or data points, and floor finishes that no longer match the landlord's required base condition.

Plan the exit early

Reinstatement started a few months before lease-end is calm and cheaper. Left to the final weeks, it becomes rushed, expensive, and the most likely reason a deposit is withheld.