Commercial make good, explained from notice to sign-off

Make good (also written make-good or makegood) is the work a business tenant does at the end of a commercial lease to hand the premises back in the condition the lease requires. It covers offices, shops, clinics, restaurants, warehouses and factories. This page explains what the work involves, what it costs, how long it takes and how to get it signed off, in plain words.

General information only, not legal advice. Get advice from a property lawyer about your own lease.

What does make good mean in a commercial lease?

Make good is a contract term, not a law. Victoria's Retail Leases Act 2003, for example, has no make-good section and does not define it, so the obligation comes from your lease.

The NSW Small Business Commission describes make good as returning the premises to the condition they were first built in, to their condition at the start of the lease, or to "some other condition as specified in the lease". It also notes that make-good clauses typically ask for the premises to be returned "in an empty and neutral state", which is not always the same as how you received them.

In practice, almost every make-good clause falls into one of three types:

Many leases combine all three. If yours says "reinstate", read our lease reinstatement guide, which goes through those clauses line by line.

What work is usually included?

The scope depends on your clause and on what you changed. The table shows common items by premises type.

If most of your job is taking out a fit-out, see commercial strip-out. For local building rules, councils and dispute bodies, see commercial make good in Melbourne and commercial make good in Sydney.

When should you start planning a make good?

We suggest starting 6 to 12 months before your lease ends. That gives you time to:

1. Read the make-good clause and any fit-out approvals you signed.
2. Find your condition report or photos from the start of the lease.
3. Get the landlord to confirm in writing what they want removed and what can stay.
4. Get comparable quotes and book a contractor with dates that finish before your lease ends.
5. Leave a buffer for building access rules, permits and asbestos checks.

If works are not finished when the lease ends, your lease may let the landlord charge rent while you stay on (holding over) or claim the cost of finishing the work. Check what yours says.

How much does commercial make good cost?

Honest answer: reliable public cost data is thin. No major Australian quantity-surveying guide we could find publishes a free make-good rate per square metre. The figures below are the published numbers we found, with how much weight we would give each.

Source: MAKE GREAT cost-source register, compiled 28 October 2026. All figures are indicative only and are not quotes.

We found no reliable public figures for warehouse or industrial make good, or for single items like racking removal or line-marking removal. For those, the only honest number is a quote based on your site.

What pushes the cost up or down?

• Your clause. "Reinstate to base building" costs far more than "clean and repair".
• How much you built. Glass offices, kitchens, raised floors and mezzanines all take time to remove.
• Building rules. CBD towers and shopping centres often require after-hours work, lift bookings and approved trades.
• Hidden items. Asbestos in older buildings, and services you cannot see until the ceiling is open.
• What the landlord will keep. Every item the landlord agrees in writing to keep is one you do not pay to remove.
• Timing. Rushed jobs cost more, and a late finish can add rent.

Can you pay cash instead of doing the make good?

Often, yes, if the landlord agrees. The NSW Small Business Commission says tenants "often agree to a payment to the lessor in lieu" of doing the make good, and that tenants who do not make good will normally be liable for the landlord's costs.

No law sets that payment. Before you agree a figure, get your own itemised quote for the same scope so you can compare it with the landlord's number. Put any agreement in writing, including that it settles your make-good obligations in full.

Is make good different for retail leases in Victoria and NSW?

The work is similar, but retail tenants get extra protections and set dispute processes.

Office and industrial leases are often not retail leases, so the lease and general law decide most questions. In Victoria, some offices that provide services to the public can still be retail premises, so check. The VSBC can also help with non-retail lease disputes, although taking part is voluntary.

What safety and licensing rules apply to make-good work?

You do not need to know the detail, but your contractor does. Check they cover these:

• Asbestos. In Victoria, before refurbishment or demolition work, the person managing the workplace must review the asbestos register, and asbestos likely to be disturbed must be removed by a licensed removalist (with a small exception for limited non-friable work). In NSW, workplaces built before 31 December 2003 need an asbestos register, and a licence is needed to remove any friable asbestos or more than 10 m² of non-friable asbestos.
• Electrical. Disconnecting power, removing circuits or making safe must be done by a licensed electrician in both states.
• Permits. In Victoria, some internal alterations to commercial buildings are exempt from a building permit, but not if they affect structure, fire-safety systems or a building on the Victorian Heritage Register. In NSW, ask a certifier or your contractor whether your work needs approval.

How do you get make good signed off and your security back?

1. Book a joint inspection with the landlord or their agent before your lease end date.
2. Bring your start-of-lease condition report, photos and the landlord's written list of what could stay.
3. Fix any agreed defects quickly and photograph the finished space.
4. Ask for written confirmation from the landlord that the make good is complete.
5. Hand back keys and access cards, and request your bank guarantee or bond in writing.

How MAKE GREAT helps

You can do all of this yourself. If you want help, MAKE GREAT is a technology marketplace that makes the process simpler:

• Analyse my lease. Upload your lease and our lease check pulls out the make-good clause and a preliminary list of likely works. It is a starting point, and a person at MAKE GREAT reviews it before you rely on it. A contractor must still confirm the scope on site.
• Get my make-good quotes. We turn your details into a clear brief and invite contractors who have joined our marketplace and passed our document checks (such as insurance and licences) to quote the same scope, so you can compare like with like.

You choose the contractor and contract with them directly. MAKE GREAT is not a contractor and does not do the work. Free for tenants. If you hire a contractor through us, they pay us a referral fee. Nobody can pay to rank higher. We do not promise that you will save money.

General information only, not legal advice. For questions about your own lease, speak to a property lawyer or your state's Small Business Commission.