Define your occupier and landlord boundaries
An office occupier may control meeting rooms, local equipment and cleaning while shared plant, lifts and common-area services remain with a landlord or managing agent. List those boundaries before buying a maintenance package. Ask which existing contracts, warranties and approvals affect the work.
Bring a floor or space schedule, known assets and relevant building information. If records are incomplete, identify the discovery task instead of assuming that the entire building falls within the appointment. The same distinction matters in serviced offices and multi-tenant properties, where some services may already be bundled into other arrangements.
- Tenant-controlled areas and shared spaces
- Landlord and managing-agent contacts
- Retained contracts and building rules
- Unknown assets and records to establish
Fit maintenance around London office access
For City, West End or Docklands premises, describe the building's actual entry rules, plant-room permissions and permitted work hours. Location alone does not establish the access conditions. A contractor may need an escort, booked lift access or approval to bring equipment through shared areas.
Record working patterns and areas that remain occupied. Agree how disruptive work, isolations and remedial quotations will be assessed by appropriate people. Distinguish a normal attendance window from out-of-hours work, and record who may authorise a temporary arrangement when a fault affects building use.
- Induction, escort and permit arrangements
- Occupied hours and sensitive work areas
- Approved interruption and communication route
- Separate out-of-hours assumptions and charges
Specify maintenance and cleaning separately
Identify the building systems and equipment covered by planned work, with a suitable task basis and evidence requirements. Separate landlord-controlled plant and specialist testing from general coordination. A broad office maintenance label should not stand in for an asset schedule.
For cleaning and site services, describe workspaces, meeting rooms, reception, welfare facilities and any retained provider interfaces. Agree completion criteria and how defects discovered during routine visits are reported. Changes in occupancy, opening hours or space use should trigger a scope review rather than an unrecorded increase in tasks.
- Asset-linked maintenance scope
- Space-based cleaning specification
- Completion evidence and defects route
- Change process for occupancy or layout
Compare costs using the same office brief
Ask for recurring tasks, reactive attendance, materials, specialist work and mobilisation to be distinguishable in the price. Floor area is useful context but cannot describe the entire service mix. Check how access restrictions, retained contracts and minimum visits affect the quotation.
Our pricing pages provide external market context with named sources; they are not a price offer for your office. Send the site details for a considered scope discussion. We publish our London contact address at Kemp House, City Road; a service page does not imply additional offices or a guaranteed response time in a particular district.
- Recurring and variable costs separated
- Included hours and minimum attendance
- Assumptions and exclusions beside the price
- Client approval route for additional work
Bring these records to the first discussion
Send the address, site count, approximate floor area, working hours, landlord interfaces and the services you want to review. Include current schedules and known defects where they can be shared appropriately. State which records are missing so discovery work can be scoped.
Use an asset register and a service schedule to organise the conversation, then agree reporting and handover expectations. Avoid sending credentials or sensitive access details through a general enquiry. We can discuss the requirements and proposed delivery route; specific specialist scope and competence should be checked before appointment.
- Office and occupier profile
- Current suppliers, renewals and gaps
- Known asset and evidence information
- Decision maker, budget process and intended start
Sources and editorial responsibility
This is company-published buyer guidance. Official sources support the context, not an endorsement, accreditation or a claim that we inspected your premises. Use competent advice for the specific building and work involved.
- IWFM: What is workplace and facilities management?
- HSE: Using contractors — a brief guide
- HSE: Maintenance of work equipment
- GOV.UK: Fire safety responsibilities
We have a commercial interest in FM enquiries. Read our editorial standards or send a correction.