Good Lawyer Guide's response

When you took on the lease, you agreed to keep the property in good condition. Unfortunately, the law implies that you will put the property into a state of good repair if it isn’t already and maintain it in good repair. This means you should do what you can to put the property into a good condition at your own.

However, if you have got evidence such as photographs, of the condition of the property when you moved in, it is worth trying to negotiate something with the landlord. They may be willing to pay some of the costs in the circumstances but he would not be legally obliged to.

Daniel Stanton's response

You need to get a good surveyor on board who has experience of dealing with dilapidations (lack of repair of leasehold premises). They may be able to provide low-cost suggestions to reduce some of your liability and suggest how any alterations you are carrying out may be carried out in such a way so as to reduce the liability to repair.