Avoid - They will keep your full deposit and then some!
After a short three month tenancy, I was charged a blanket “reinstatement fee” that was applied regardless of the actual condition of the office. Despite repeatedly asking for a clear breakdown of what work was required following the exit inspection, no itemised explanation was ever provided.
Instead, the charge was calculated purely based on office size and standard policy, covering things like deep cleaning, redecoration, and testing, even though no evidence was given that this work was necessary. This felt completely disproportionate given the condition the office was left in.
What made it more frustrating was that:
* No move in inventory was completed, so there was no agreed baseline to measure against
* The tenancy was very short, yet the fee was treated as if full refurbishment was required
* Part of the justification included general building upkeep, which should not be passed on as a tenant exit cost
* There were issues during the tenancy, including mould, a non working water cooler, and having to arrange our own internet
Communication was also slow and required multiple follow ups to get basic answers, which made the process more difficult than it needed to be.
Overall, I would strongly recommend anyone considering Citibase to carefully review the exit terms, particularly around reinstatement fees, as they may not be as transparent or proportionate as expected.
