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Makan Al Najah

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Reinstating a unit at the end of a lease

The lease usually says how the unit must be returned. Reading it before the fit-out starts makes the exit much simpler.

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Open office floor with workstations, glass partitions and a suspended ceiling

Many commercial leases require the tenant to return the unit to a specified condition at the end of the term — sometimes shell and core, sometimes the landlord’s standard fit-out, sometimes as agreed at handover. Reinstatement is the work to reach that condition: removing partitions, ceilings and finishes the tenant added, making good services and leaving the space ready for the next tenant.

Element pages explain one part of a larger renovation in detail: what is being chosen, what the installation involves, and where the cost and time usually sit.

The scope depends entirely on the lease wording and what was installed. A schedule of condition or photographs taken at the start of the lease are invaluable when the time comes, because they show exactly what the unit looked like before.

What matters most on this page

  • The lease defines the scope

    What must be removed and what condition the unit is returned in.

  • Records from day one

    Photographs and a schedule of condition at handover make reinstatement clear.

  • Landlord inspection

    The landlord inspects the reinstated unit before the handback is accepted.

What reinstatement usually covers

  • Strip-out

    Removing tenant partitions, ceilings, joinery, floor finishes and signage.

  • Services

    Capping or returning electrical, data, plumbing and AC modifications to the base condition.

  • Making good

    Repairing walls, floors and ceilings and leaving the unit clean.

Before reinstatement is planned

  • Read the reinstatement clause

    With the landlord’s fit-out manual if it is referenced.

  • Find the handover records

    Photographs, drawings or the schedule of condition from the start of the lease.

  • Ask what can stay

    Landlords sometimes accept certain items left for the next tenant.

Questions we are often asked

Do we always have to strip everything out?

Not necessarily. It depends on the lease, and some landlords agree to items staying.

What if we have no records from the start?

The landlord’s base-build drawings and standard fit-out specification are used as the reference.

Can reinstatement be planned during the fit-out?

Yes. Choosing systems that are easy to remove and keeping records makes the exit simpler.

Related guides

Start from commercial fit-out, browse the guides, or see all renovation and fit-out services. We work on homes and commercial premises across Dubai.

Tell us about the property

Tell us which room, which element and what is being replaced. We will confirm the measurements and the sequence that follows.

Next step

Plan the handback early

Send the reinstatement clause and any handover records. We will set out the scope and sequence needed to return the unit.

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