Who Is Responsible for Evacuation Diagrams in a Leased Building?

One of the most common points of confusion in commercial property is who pays for and maintains evacuation diagrams. Is it the landlord? The tenant? The property manager? The answer depends on which part of the building you are talking about.

This guide clarifies the typical responsibilities and what to check in your lease.

The General Rule

In most Australian commercial leasing arrangements, responsibility is split:

• Building owner (landlord): responsible for common areas including lobbies, corridors, fire stairs, car parks, and shared facilities
• Tenant: responsible for the interior of their leased space
• Property manager or body corporate: may manage the base building diagrams on behalf of the owner

This means a tenant in a multi-story office building is responsible for the diagrams inside their tenancy, while the landlord is responsible for the corridor, lift lobby, fire stair, and ground floor diagrams.

What the Lease Typically Says

Most commercial leases include clauses about fire safety compliance. Look for:

• Make good clause: may require the tenant to install or update diagrams as part of the fit-out
• Compliance clause: the tenant must comply with all applicable safety laws and standards within their premises
• Essential services clause: the landlord maintains essential safety measures in common areas
• Outgoings or operating expenses: base building diagram costs may be passed to tenants as part of building outgoings
• Annual Fire Safety Statement: the landlord or owners corporation is typically responsible for the AFSS, which may include diagram currency

New Fit-Out or Tenancy

When a tenant moves in or renovates, new evacuation diagrams are almost always needed:

• The fit-out changes the floor layout (new walls, doors, rooms)
• Exit routes within the tenancy may be different from the base building shell layout
• Fire equipment locations may change (new extinguisher positions to suit the layout)
• The "You Are Here" positions are specific to the new fit-out
• The landlord's base building diagrams in corridors may also need updating if the tenant's entry door location changes

Multi-Tenanted Buildings

Buildings with multiple tenants add complexity:

• Each tenant is responsible for their own space
• The landlord covers shared corridors, lobbies, and fire stairs
• If one tenant renovates and changes the floor layout, the corridor diagram for that floor may need updating (this is typically the landlord's responsibility)
• Tenants should coordinate with the landlord or property manager when renovating to ensure diagrams are updated consistently
• Some landlords provide a "base building" set of diagrams and require each tenant to add their own tenancy diagrams that match the style

What If Nobody Does It?

In practice, evacuation diagrams often fall through the cracks because both parties assume the other is handling it. This is especially common when:

• The building changes ownership and the new landlord does not inherit diagram records
• A small business leases a standalone building and assumes diagrams are the landlord's job
• A tenant moves into an existing fit-out and assumes the previous tenant's diagrams are sufficient
• The property manager changes and diagram maintenance is not handed over

Regardless of what the lease says, fire authorities can issue improvement notices to whoever occupies the space. If you are the tenant and your space has no diagrams, "the landlord was supposed to do it" is not a defence during an inspection.

Practical Recommendations

To avoid confusion and ensure compliance:

• Check your lease for fire safety and compliance clauses before signing
• During fit-out, include evacuation diagrams in your contractor scope of work
• Ask your property manager who maintains the base building diagrams and when they were last updated
• If you are a small business in a standalone building, you are likely responsible for everything
• Keep a copy of your current diagrams in digital format for easy reprinting

Get Evacuation Diagrams for Your Tenancy

EvacPath creates evacuation diagrams for tenants and landlords across Australia. Whether you need diagrams for a single office suite or an entire multi-tenanted building, we work from your floor plans and deliver print-ready PDFs in 3 to 5 business days.

Pricing starts at A$70 per diagram. Volume pricing available for multi-floor or multi-tenancy buildings.