End of lease office clearance checklist

1. Establish what the handover requires

Gather the lease, any licences for alterations, the original schedule of condition and relevant correspondence. Ask your solicitor or building surveyor to explain the requirements affecting the proposed exit. RICS's guidance for Scotland considers these documents when assessing lease-end obligations; use advice that relates to your premises and agreement.

Turn the answers into a written task list. A clearance booking covers the contents and work agreed with the contractor; it does not establish that your lease obligations are satisfied. Keep removal of furniture, repairs, cleaning and any reinstatement work as separately defined tasks with responsible people.

• What date and time must the premises be ready, and who receives the keys?
• Which items or fittings are expected to remain, and where is that agreement recorded?
• Are any notices, approvals or inspection appointments needed before work begins?
• What questions about condition, alterations or reinstatement need the property adviser's answer?

Sources: RICS: Dilapidations in Scotland

2. Give every item a destination and an owner

Make a room-by-room inventory covering desks, chairs, storage units and loose office contents. Check cupboards, meeting rooms, reception areas and any storage space included in your occupation. Group items by destination: retained for your business, returned to an owner, accepted for reuse, or proposed for clearance.

Confirm ownership of rented equipment, landlord's furniture and fixtures before including them. If somebody suggests leaving desks for the next occupier, record exactly which pieces are being accepted and obtain confirmation through the appropriate parties. Keep an unresolved list for anything awaiting a decision; do not let uncertainty become a label saying remove.

3. Build a timetable with room for follow-up work

Start from the confirmed handover appointment and place each task before it. Include your last working day, movement of retained belongings, collection of unwanted furniture, any separately arranged works, cleaning and a final inspection. Check which activities need others completed first and avoid giving different teams the same lift or loading slot.

Set a decision deadline for furniture offered for sale or donation. If a recipient cannot confirm collection, decide the alternative while there is still time to book it. Leave practical contingency between clearance and handover for an overlooked cupboard, changed inventory or access problem. The amount needed depends on the office and remaining tasks.

4. Agree access with the building contact

Contact the building manager with the proposed collection arrangements. Establish how the team reaches your rooms and how furniture reaches the loading point. A lift serving the floor may still require a reservation or have dimensions that affect assembled desks.

Give the clearance provider the actual route rather than just the floor number. Include photographs of stairs, doorways and tight turns, and explain any shared spaces. Agree who supplies keys or access passes and who can resolve a problem on the day.

• Confirm permitted collection hours and building entry arrangements.
• Check service-lift booking, size limits and any protection requirements.
• Explain loading-bay reservations, vehicle restrictions and carrying distance.
• Ask what contractor information the building manager needs in advance.

5. Confirm the collection scope in writing

Send the final inventory and photographs when requesting a quote. Identify what stays, which pieces are unusually heavy and any dismantling that may be needed. Describe electrical equipment, confidential records and unfamiliar materials separately so acceptance and handling can be checked.

Review the written quote for contents, labour, access assumptions, agreed dismantling, timing, exclusions and VAT treatment. Ask how changes discovered before collection will be priced and authorised. Appoint somebody who knows the inventory to approve any change; a contractor should not have to guess whether an extra cabinet belongs in the load.

6. Prepare rooms for an accurate collection

Ask staff to remove personal belongings and check desks, drawers and cupboards. Put retained business records and equipment under the control of the relevant colleague. Arrange any required confidential handling or data destruction separately; collection of a computer is not evidence that its data has been destroyed.

Use clear labels that match the inventory, and keep access routes unobstructed. Walk through the office with the collection lead before work starts, pointing out retained pieces and any areas outside the scope. Avoid dismantling heavy or fixed items yourself simply to make them look ready. Discuss the required handling first.

7. Check the cleared rooms and assemble your records

Check each room against the inventory before the team leaves, including storage areas and spaces behind open doors. Record agreed additions, items left and any outstanding action. Take dated photographs of the cleared areas without exposing confidential information.

For business waste, check the appropriate transfer documentation is complete and accurate, following SEPA's duty-of-care guidance. File it with the agreed scope, invoice, correspondence and photographs. Then arrange the separate property handover with the relevant person. Keep a clear record of anything they identify for follow-up; completion of the clearance is one milestone in your departure plan.

Sources: SEPA: Duty of Care

Prepare your clearance enquiry

When contacting Office Clearances Glasgow by Dumpit Scotland, include your postcode, proposed collection date, handover deadline, furniture list and access arrangements. Explain any decisions still outstanding. This gives the team the information needed to discuss the office contents clearance and the scope to be confirmed.