Updated October 2025.
A ‘make good’ is a specific clause that may appear in a lease agreement for a commercial property, such as an office. This clause stipulates that the tenant must ‘make good’ the property upon leaving.
Essentially, this means returning the property to its original condition.
But what does original condition mean?
Understanding original condition in the make good obligation
In an office environment, this often means stripping out everything that your business chose to install in the office when fitting it out.
That could include partitions, floor coverings, workstations, joinery and so on. It can be an enormous headache, especially when landlords become pedantic over the condition of the building.
However, make good clauses can be contentious and there have been cases where landlords treat this clause as a money grab, by making the tenants pay a large sum to have the building stripped out.
This can often result in disputes between the landlord and tenant.
Therefore, businesses should be careful when signing a lease and make sure the make good clause is fair, detailed and transparent.
The importance of condition reports for make good provisions
Condition reports are very important when it comes to a provision for make good.
It’s imperative that a condition report is made before moving in and fitting out your office, so that the condition of the property before your tenancy is firmly documented.
This will help your business avoid any issues with your make good provision at the end of the tenancy period.
If the process is not handled correctly, a make good clause can cost your business a huge amount of money when you’re forced to strip out the office yourself.
When leaving the premises, you should employ a company like MakeGoods to handle the entire make-good process.
How can office makegood experts help?
We guarantee that you’ll get your bond back, so you will be able to have peace of mind and completely focus on your relocation.
The cost of having MakeGoods handle this is far less than the money you could lose in a dispute, or by doing a strip out yourself.
Our in-house team has many years of experience in completing efficient stripouts for a range of commercial spaces, ensuring that your make good obligations are fulfilled.
Book a meeting with our team today
The most important thing is that your business understands the make-good clause in your lease, and that when it comes time to move office, it’s handled properly by an expert company such as MakeGoods, to avoid any unforeseen costs or problems.
FAQs about the make good provision and process
What are makegood standards?
They outline how a property must be restored at the end of a lease, usually meaning removal of fitout items, repairs, repainting, and cleaning to match its original condition.
How long does a makegood take?
In terms of time, a make-good can take us roughly a week for a 150m2 space, and up to three weeks for a 1000m2 office.
How much does a make good cost?
Costs vary depending on the size of the space and the work required, but professional make goods typically range from a few thousand dollars for small offices to much more for larger fitouts.
When should I start planning for a makegood?
Start planning three to six months before your lease ends to allow enough time for quotes and scheduling.
Do you provide make goods for warehouses and factories?
Yes, we do provide make goods for industrial facilities like warehouses and factories.
Who do you work with?
We work with tenants, owners, facility managers and tenant representatives.