Standard make good requirements in Australian commercial leases usually mean you must return the premises in the condition specified in your lease-most commonly back to “base building” or to the condition at the start of the lease, excluding fair wear and tear.
Because each lease is drafted differently, there isn’t one universal checklist-but there are recurring items that show up across most office, retail, and industrial tenancies.
The most common make good requirements (the “standard” scope)
1) Remove tenant fitout and your belongings
Typically includes removing tenant-installed items such as:
- partitions and internal walls (where required)
- joinery, shelving, counters, display fixtures
- signage and branding including company coloured walls
- cabling that is not part of the base building
This is commonly described as removal of your fitout / detachable property.
2) Repair damage and make good alterations
Usually includes:
- repairing walls, doors, and surfaces
- patching holes and penetrations (including from fixing points or services changes)
- rectifying damage caused by removals or unauthorised works
Repairs and reinstatement are a standard feature of make good clauses and a common area of dispute if scope isn’t clear.
3) Repaint (often full repaint) and restore finishes
Many leases require repainting at end of term, particularly for office and retail, and especially if walls have been reconfigured or branded. Some clauses also require restoring finishes to an agreed standard.
4) Flooring: repair, replace, or return to base standard
Depending on the lease and condition, the landlord may require:
- carpet replacement / steam clean
- floor surface repairs
- removal of tenant floor finishes and reinstatement to base building
Flooring is frequently referenced as part of make good scope (particularly where worn, stained, or altered).
5) Services decommissioning (and reinstatement where required)
This is common and often underestimated. It can include:
- decommissioning or removing tenant-installed electrical/data
- removing supplementary air conditioning or modifying HVAC back to base building
- making safe any abandoned cabling/services
- reinstating lighting layouts (if required by the lease)
Australian guidance commonly lists “services decommissioning” as a typical make good element.
6) Cleaning and rubbish removal (handover-ready)
Many make good scopes include:
- a professional commercial clean
- removal of all rubbish and waste from works and vacancy
- removal and disposal of tenant furniture
- a “handover-ready” presentation standard
Cleaning and waste removal are regularly called out as part of make good obligations.
What “fair wear and tear” usually means (and what it doesn’t)
Most make good clauses exclude fair wear and tear, but tenants are typically still responsible for:
- damage from neglect or misuse
- damage caused by alterations, removals, or poor maintenance
The “wear and tear” line is one of the most common disagreement points-so photos and a condition report matter.
The 3 most common “standards” your lease might specify
When people ask “standard make good requirements”, they’re often really asking which return standard applies:
- Return to base building (common in office)
- Return to the condition at lease commencement (often backed by a condition report)
- Return to another specified condition (e.g., landlord’s approved spec, or partial reinstatement)
Retail leases: additional guidance and practical reality
Retail leasing bodies emphasise that make good provisions should be considered carefully because they affect how the premises can be re-let and what tenants must do at exit.
In practice, retail make good often places extra focus on:
- removal of shopfront branding and fitout elements
- repairs to walls/floors where heavy fitout has been installed
- presentation standard for handover
A practical “standard checklist” for tenants (quick scan)
Use this to sense-check your scope before you start getting quotes:
- Lease clause reviewed (make good + alterations + reinstatement obligations)
- Condition report / photos from lease start gathered
- Fitout removal / stripout items confirmed
- Repairs list identified (patching, doors, surfaces, penetrations)
- Painting requirements confirmed
- Flooring requirements confirmed
- Services decommissioning scope confirmed (electrical/data/HVAC)
- Cleaning + waste removal included as final step
- Landlord/building management access rules understood (lift bookings, hours, inductions)
How to avoid disputes (and unnecessary spend)
High-quality legal and leasing guidance consistently points to the same risk areas: scope clarity, documentation, timing, and sign-off.
Practical steps:
- Start early (planning months out is common advice)
- Confirm return standard in writing (base building vs start-of-lease condition)
- Get a clear scope (and align it with landlord expectations before works begin)
- Document everything (photos before/during/after; keep approvals)
How NMGS helps with make good delivery
NMGS supports commercial tenants, landlords, and asset managers with end-of-lease make good works, typically covering:
- scope confirmation aligned to the lease and handover standard
- stripout/defit coordination (where required)
- repairs, reinstatement, and finishing works
- practical handover readiness (including arranging cleaning as the final step)
- programme planning to meet your vacate date and building access requirements