End-of-Tenancy Clearance Between Lets

Many rental properties are flats or terraced houses with no driveway, so a skip would need a road permit and someone to load it. Left-behind contents also often include sofas, mattresses and fridges, which cannot go in a general skip. A clearance crew removes everything in one visit with nothing left on the street. If the property is also being refurbished – a new kitchen or bathroom – a 6 yard builders skip for the renovation waste can work alongside the clearance.

Sofas, armchairs and other upholstered seating left behind by tenants may contain persistent organic pollutants and must be kept apart from general waste for appropriate treatment. Please list any upholstered seating when you enquire so the supplier can collect it separately. See upholstered furniture for details.

• Book the clearance as soon as the check-out date is known to keep void periods short.
• Arrange key collection or meet-on-site access with the supplier.
• Photograph rooms before and after for your inventory and deposit records.
• Ask for the waste transfer note to keep with the property file.

Agents and property managers with several properties can manage clearances across a portfolio – see property maintenance.

If you are moving out and cannot take everything with you, a clearance before your check-out appointment can help you return the property in the condition your tenancy agreement expects. Check with your landlord or agent which items, if any, belong to the property before anything is removed.

Tenants sometimes leave overgrown gardens, piles of cuttings or full sheds and garages. These can be included in the same clearance so the whole property is ready at once; mention them when you enquire so the supplier allows enough time and vehicle space. For larger green waste volumes on their own, a garden waste collection can be booked separately. Old paint tins, garden chemicals and suspected asbestos sheeting in outbuildings need specialist handling and should be flagged in advance.