Clinics, health centres, crèches, day nurseries, day centres, schools, art galleries (other than for sale or hire), museums, libraries, halls, places of worship, church halls, law court. Nonresidential education and training centres. There are no permitted changes.

Cinemas, music and concert halls, bingo and dance halls (but not night clubs), swimming baths, skating rinks, gymnasiums or area for indoor or outdoor sports and recreations (except for motor sports, or where firearms are used). There are no permitted changes.

Moulding fixed horizontally to the walls around a room. Its original purpose was to prevent damage to the wall caused by furniture rubbing against it.

Excess moisture within a building which could have been caused by condensation, heavy rainfall or leaking pipes. Damp can lead to mouldy walls, potentially leading to health problems.

Layer of waterproof material such as PVC or mineral felt which is incorporated into a wall. The purpose of a DPC is to stop dampness rising up the wall or around doors/windows through a process of capillary action.

A horizontal layer of waterproof material such as polythene or bitumen. It is incorporated into floors or slabs to prevent dampness.

(Xestobium rufovillosum). A serious insect pest that bores into wood. If it attacks structural timbers they can become unsafe.

Where there is an obligation to decorate, the decoration covenants within the lease will state when internal or external decoration is required. It may go on to define specific details, such as how many coats of paint are to be applied and when the decorations are to be applied.

Demised premises are the extent of the premises included within a lease and may include land or other facilities. For example, when an office block is let under a written lease, in the lease the office block might be referred to as the demised premises.

Depreciation is a method of allocating the cost of a tangible asset over its useful life. Businesses depreciate long-term assets for both tax and accounting purposes. Consumption includes the wearing out, using up or other reduction in the useful economic life of a tangible fixed asset whether from use, passing of time or obsolescence through either change in technology or demand for goods and services produced by the asset.

The generic term for the decision of a Third-Party surveyor appointed under a Dispute Resolution clause to make a binding decision to resolve a dispute between the parties to a lease. Most commonly Independent Expert Determination of a rent review (similar to an Arbitration Award), but can include service charge, insurance and adjoining owner/occupier clauses.

The term 'dilapidations' refers to the breaches of a tenant's lease covenants in respect of repair, reinstatement of alterations, and redecoration. Can be raised by a landlord during the term of the Lease (interim dilapidations) or, more commonly, at lease expiry (terminal dilapidations). Any resultant claim for damages is capped at the Diminution in Value of the landlord's interest under s18 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927 in respect of repair, and similar principles at common law in respect of reinstatement and redecoration.

There is a formal pre-action protocol for claims for damages in relation to the physical state of a commercial property generally called the ‘dilapidations protocol’. This was been formally adopted under the Civil Procedure Rules in January 2012.

A Diminution Valuation is a specialist’s report prepared by an experienced Valuer which takes into account Section 18 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927. Section 18(1) provides that the damages for breach of the repairing covenant may not exceed the diminution in value of the landlord’s reversion caused by breaches of repair. The common law practice is now to produce a single diminution valuation reflecting all breaches of covenant (i.e., including reinstatement etc.).

An analysis technique used to appraise, for example, investment and development projects, whereby future income streams are discounted, accounting for the time cost of money, to arrive at a present value in order to gauge performance and project viability.

The assessment of the condition of property, which highlights areas where repair is required. Many tenants will have obligations to repair their premises. Failure to do so is commonly referred to as disrepair. The state of repair is usually disregarded in making an assessment for rating, although significant dilapidation can lead to a removal from liability.

An old form of matt paint made from chalk or lime, and animal glue. Sometimes referee to as ‘whitewash’.

A window that protrudes from a building, built out from a roof slope.

Two panes of glass hermetically sealed together/a window fitted inside an original window. The idea is to provide better thermal and sound insulation.

Also known as a ‘double sash’ window. This type of window has two sashes with can independently slide up/down to open/close the window.

A vertical pipe which carries rainwater to ground level from gutters.

A groove added beneath an overhanging edge such as a windowsill or coping stone. The idea is to prevent water from running down the building.

A very serious form of fungus that attacks wood. It can pass through masonry and due to its ability to spread by feeding off the timber, can make structural timbers unsafe.