Overview
A tenant fit-up checklist for Ottawa commercial space works best when it is organized around who is responsible for each item, not just what needs to happen. Landlord work letters, lease terms and project scope vary widely, so this guide presents a responsibility matrix to help you sort tasks by party rather than assuming a standard split.
Use this as a discussion tool with your landlord, contractor and any design or engineering consultants involved, not as a finished agreement. Many items are genuinely project-dependent and need to be confirmed against your specific lease and scope.
Tenant fit-ups also involve more parties than a typical renovation of owned space, since the landlord retains an interest in base-building systems, common areas and the long-term condition of the premises. A clear, shared understanding of who is doing what reduces the chance of a task falling through the gaps between tenant, landlord and contractor.
Why responsibility varies by project
In a tenant fit-up, work is typically divided between landlord-provided base building elements, tenant-funded improvements, and items that could fall to either party depending on the lease. A work letter, if one exists, usually sets out this division, but it rarely covers every detail of a fit-up scope.
Where a lease is silent or ambiguous, confirm responsibility in writing before work begins rather than assuming a default split.
Even where a work letter exists, it is usually written in general terms and may not anticipate every item in your specific fit-up scope. Treat it as a starting reference, and resolve gaps with the landlord in writing rather than relying on verbal understanding.
Responsibility matrix
The table below is a starting point. Items marked "project-dependent" commonly shift between tenant and landlord depending on the specific lease and building standard, and should always be confirmed rather than assumed.
| Item | Tenant | Landlord | Contractor | Consultant | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base building HVAC capacity | Typical | Often | Project-dependent; confirm in work letter | ||
| Interior partitions and finishes | Typical | Typical | |||
| Electrical distribution beyond base panel | Typical | Typical | Often | Project-dependent | |
| Fire/life-safety system modifications | Often | Typical | Typical | Project-dependent; may require permit | |
| Signage (interior and exterior) | Typical | Approval | Landlord approval usually required | ||
| Common area or corridor finishes | Typical | ||||
| Permit applications | Often | Often | Often | Project-dependent; confirm who submits | |
| Design drawings and specifications | Typical | Typical | |||
| Construction scheduling and coordination | Typical | ||||
| Landlord design/construction review | Typical |
Lease and work-letter review
Before finalizing a fit-up scope, review the lease and any work letter for allowances, approval requirements, and restrictions on alterations. Note any tenant improvement allowance, how and when it is paid, and whether unused amounts carry forward or are forfeited.
- Tenant improvement allowance amount and payment timing
- Landlord approval steps and expected turnaround time
- Restoration or make-good obligations at lease end
- Building standard specifications for finishes and systems
- Any restrictions on hours, access or shared-facility use during construction
Common areas of disagreement to clarify early
Some items tend to cause confusion even when a work letter exists, because they sit at the boundary between base building and tenant scope. Examples include who pays for upgrading electrical capacity beyond the base allocation, who is responsible for fire-rated separations between tenant spaces, and who arranges inspections required before occupancy.
Raising these questions directly with the landlord before construction starts, rather than during it, avoids delays caused by unresolved responsibility disputes.
Coordinating consultants
Depending on scope, a tenant fit-up may require input from a designer, mechanical or electrical engineer, or code consultant. Clarify early who retains each consultant, who pays for their services, and how their drawings feed into the contractor's scope of work.
Handover and close-out items
Plan for the items that come at the end of a fit-up: final inspections, as-built documentation, warranty information, and confirmation that landlord sign-off has been obtained where required by the lease.
- Final inspection and occupancy sign-off
- As-built drawings, if produced
- Warranty and maintenance documentation from installed systems
- Landlord final walk-through, if required by lease
Your checklist
- Obtain and review the lease and any work letter before scoping the fit-up
- Confirm the tenant improvement allowance amount and payment terms
- Identify who is responsible for permit applications
- Confirm who retains and pays for design or engineering consultants
- Clarify landlord approval steps and expected turnaround
- Mark responsibility for HVAC, electrical and fire/life-safety items explicitly
- Confirm signage approval requirements with the landlord
- Document restoration or make-good obligations at lease end
- Agree on construction scheduling constraints with the landlord
- Plan for final inspection and landlord sign-off at completion