The short answer
A make good in Port Melbourne is the end-of-lease work your lease requires before you hand back the premises. Many Port Melbourne tenancies are office-warehouse units or showrooms, so one make good often mixes office work (partitions, ceilings, carpet) with warehouse work (racking, floor repairs, roller doors). Removing a mezzanine can need a building permit, so plan for it early.
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Key takeaways
- 01Office-warehouse units need two kinds of make good in one job: office fit-out and warehouse floor and structure.
- 02Removing a mezzanine changes floor area, so it usually falls outside Victoria's permit exemption for minor alterations. Ask a building surveyor.
- 03Check which council covers your address: most of Port Melbourne is in Port Phillip, but parts of Fishermans Bend are in the City of Melbourne.
- 04Many sites around Fishermans Bend may be redeveloped, which can change what the landlord actually wants.
- 05Get a written scope agreed with the landlord before contractors quote.
Port Melbourne has a mix of business premises that is unusual for a suburb so close to the CBD. Along and around streets such as Salmon Street, Plummer Street and Williamstown Road there are office-warehouse units, showrooms, trade counters and light industrial buildings. Bay Street has shops, cafes and offices. To the north, the Fishermans Bend renewal area takes in the Sandridge and Wirraway precincts and a large employment area, where some older industrial sites are being redeveloped.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Your lease decides what you must do. For advice on your obligations, speak to a lawyer or the Victorian Small Business Commission.
What does a make good involve for an office-warehouse unit?
The office-warehouse unit is the classic Port Melbourne tenancy: a two-storey office at the front, a high-roofed warehouse at the back with a roller door, and often a mezzanine. A make good for this kind of unit is really two jobs:
| Part of the unit | Common make-good items |
|---|---|
| Front office | Remove partitions, joinery, kitchenette, data cabling and signage; reinstate ceiling tiles and lighting; patch and paint; repair or replace carpet |
| Warehouse | Remove racking, shelving and benches; cut and patch anchor holes; remove line marking and any floor coating the lease does not allow; repair slab cracks and forklift damage |
| Structure and services | Remove mezzanines, office pods or cages you added; make added power and three-phase outlets safe; repair roller doors, wall panels and bollard damage |
| Outside | Clear the yard and car park; remove signage; clean gutters and downpipes if the lease requires it |
Because the job spans office and industrial work, a contractor who only does one side may subcontract the other. Ask each contractor who will do what. Our Melbourne warehouse make-good page and Melbourne office make-good page go deeper into each side.
Does removing a mezzanine need a permit?
Often it does. In Victoria, "building work" includes work for or in connection with the demolition or removal of a building (Building Act 1993, s 3), and building work needs a permit unless an exemption applies (s 16). The common exemption for alterations to commercial buildings only covers work that does not change floor area or height, does not remove load-bearing parts and does not affect an essential safety measure (Building Regulations 2018, Schedule 3 item 4). Removing a mezzanine changes floor area, so it usually falls outside that exemption.
Ask a registered building surveyor before you sign a quote that includes mezzanine removal. Allow time for the permit in your programme.
The same applies if your fit-out added sprinklers, smoke detectors or exit lighting under the mezzanine. Those are essential safety measures. Changing sprinkler pipework is fire protection work, which must be done by a licensed or registered plumber (Plumbing Regulations 2018 (Vic), regs 17 and 18), and detectors and exit lights are electrical work for a licensed electrician.
What about asbestos and electrical work?
Some of Port Melbourne's older industrial buildings may contain asbestos. Under Victoria's OHS Regulations 2017, the asbestos register must be reviewed before refurbishment or demolition work (regs 240 and 241). Removing any friable asbestos, or more than 10 m² of non-friable asbestos (or more than an hour of removal work in 7 days), needs a licensed removalist (regs 246 and 250).
Disconnecting added power, three-phase outlets and machine circuits is electrical work. In Victoria it must be done by a licensed electrician, and installation work is inspected by a licensed electrical inspector (Electricity Safety Act 1998, ss 38 and 45).
What changes if the site will be redeveloped?
Much of Fishermans Bend is planned for renewal, and some older Port Melbourne sites will be knocked down or rebuilt. If your landlord plans that, they may not want a full make good. They may prefer a payment, or to keep some items. That does not cancel your lease obligation. Ask the landlord in writing what they want, get an independent quote for the full scope so you know the real cost, and get legal advice before you agree.
Which council do I deal with?
Most of Port Melbourne is in the City of Port Phillip. Parts of the Fishermans Bend industrial area to the north are in the City of Melbourne. You may need a council permit for skip bins, road occupation or a crane on the street. Check which council covers your address before you apply.
How long does a Port Melbourne make good take?
It depends on size and scope. Racking can only come out once the stock has gone, so warehouse work tends to sit at the end of your move. Add time for agreeing the scope, getting quotes, any mezzanine permit and asbestos removal. Start planning as early as you can, and check what your lease says about holding over if the works run late. The lease exit timeline sets out the order.
How MAKE GREAT helps Port Melbourne tenants
- Get my make-good quotes. We build a written brief covering both the office and warehouse parts and invite up to three vetted independent contractors who cover Port Melbourne. If fewer than three are available, we tell you.
- Analyse my lease. Our lease check lists what your lease appears to require, what is unclear and what the documents do not establish, with page references. It is preliminary, not legal advice, and a person reviews unclear clauses.
You choose the contractor and contract with them directly. 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.
Get my make-good quotes or analyse my lease. Nearby: South Melbourne, Laverton and the Melbourne make-good hub.
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Frequently asked questions
What does a make good involve for an office-warehouse unit in Port Melbourne?
Usually two parts. In the office, remove partitions, joinery and cabling, reinstate ceilings and lighting, and fix or replace carpet. In the warehouse, remove racking and fixings, repair anchor holes and slab damage, remove line marking, and repair roller doors and wall damage. Your lease clause decides what applies.
Do I need a building permit to remove a mezzanine?
Probably, but check. Victoria's exemption for minor alterations to commercial buildings only covers work that does not change floor area or remove load-bearing parts, so removing a mezzanine usually falls outside it. A registered building surveyor can tell you what is needed for your site.
Which council do I contact about permits in Port Melbourne?
Most of Port Melbourne is in the City of Port Phillip. Parts of the Fishermans Bend industrial area to the north are in the City of Melbourne. Check the council for your exact address before applying for skip bin, road occupation or planning permits.
My landlord wants to redevelop the site. Should I still do the make good?
Your obligation comes from the lease, so do not assume a redevelopment cancels it. Ask the landlord in writing what they want. Many prefer an agreed payment or a reduced scope. Get legal advice before you agree, and get any agreement in writing.
Is my showroom lease a retail lease?
It might be. In Victoria the Retail Leases Act 2003 covers premises used wholly or predominantly for retail sales or retail services, with exclusions. A showroom that sells to the public may be covered, while a trade-only warehouse usually is not. A lawyer can confirm.
Who should sign off the make good?
Whoever your lease names, usually the landlord or its managing agent. Book a joint inspection before your lease ends and get the sign-off in writing, so there is no argument later about your bank guarantee or bond.
Sources
Primary sources we checked when writing this page. Laws and guidance change, so check the current version.
- 1.Building Act 1993 (Vic), Version 152 (opens in a new tab)
- 2.Building Regulations 2018 (Vic), reg 23 and Schedule 3 (opens in a new tab)
- 3.Retail Leases Act 2003 (Vic), Version 027 (opens in a new tab)
- 4.Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Vic), asbestos (opens in a new tab)
- 5.Electricity Safety Act 1998 (Vic) (opens in a new tab)
- 6.Victorian Small Business Commission, FAQs (opens in a new tab)
- 7.City of Port Phillip (opens in a new tab)
- 8.City of Melbourne (opens in a new tab)
- 9.Plumbing Regulations 2018 (Vic), Version 010, regs 17-19 (fire protection and gasfitting work) (opens in a new tab)