Vacating a commercial office requires hours of meticulous cleaning and sanitising.  A disheveled, dirty office space may lead to failure to get your full bond back and unnecessary hassle of repeat visits that could easily be avoided with the right contractor with vast experience with vacate cleans guiding you through the process.

If your lease is ending soon and you have an upcoming property inspection, we’ve put together a simple end-of-lease cleaning checklist  In this guide, we’ll highlight some of the commonly forgotten areas when vacating a commercial property.

Read on for our office vacate cleaning checklist, divided by area for simplicity. By following this checklist, you can help ensure your commercial property is spotless and ready for the end of your lease.

 

Commercial End of Lease Cleaning Checklist

1. Offices and Cubicles
2. Common Areas
3. Staff and Meeting Rooms
4. Restrooms
5. Flooring
6. Windows
7. Breakrooms and Kitchens
8. Exterior

 

Commercial Area	Office Vacate Cleaning Tasks
Offices and Cubicles	Clean all surfaces, such as shelves, filing cabinets, and desks, by dusting and wiping them down Make sure all access cards, keys, company manuals, and company equipment are accounted for Wipe down doors, door knobs, and door frames Empty all recycling bins, paper shredders, and waste paper baskets and wipe them down Clear out all draws, cupboards and shelves of remaining furniture Specialised wash of any walls or stained surfaces Touch up paint, if necessary Dust and wipe down all telephones, printers, computers, keyboards, monitors, mice, and photocopiers
Common Areas	Dust and wipe down any benches or chairs Sweep, mop or vacuum floors Clean light fixtures, vents, and baseboards Empty waste and recycling bins Clean doors and door handles If your lease included furniture, such as chairs or desks, be sure to include them in your cleaning process
Staff and Meeting Areas	Sweep or vacuum floors and mop if necessary Empty any recycling or waste bins Clean doors and door handles Clean and wipe down all surfaces Empty all waste and recycling bins
Restrooms	Clean and sanitise toilets, sinks, urinals, hand dryers, paper towel and toilet dispensers, waste bins, mirrors, and soap dispensers Clean any grills or vents Thoroughly clean (often machine scrub of tiles and grouting is needed) and mop all floors Scrub down all walls and bathroom doors and door handles
Flooring	Vacuum any carpeted areas to remove loose dirt and debris before a thorough steam clean Mop and clean any hard flooring paying extra attention to corners or areas of build up Clean tile floors, with a special focus on grout, and finish with a wet vacuum Concrete floors need to be vacuumed, mopped, and degreased with a commercial grade degreaser and manual scrubbing or for larger areas machine scrubbing is recommended
Windows	Clean all windows ensuring there are no smudged areas or stains  Clean any dust off of fly and security screens Clean any glass office partitions Clean any dust or dead insects out of window tracks and sills
Breakroom/Kitchen	Clean and sanitise countertops, work surfaces, and food prep surfaces Empty the fridge and thoroughly clean the inside and outside, including drawers and seals. Clean all appliances (coffee machine, range hood, microwave, exhaust) Wipe down all tables and chairs, including the undersides Wash all dishes and utensils Clean out and wash all cupboards and pantries Wipe down/dust the tops of all cabinets, the fridge, etc. Sweep, vacuum, and mop the floors
Exterior	Often exteriors of commercial buildings fall into landlords responsibilities especially if your a suite within a multi tenant building but if you have a stand alone premises then below is a list of common items needing consideration Ensure all trash and debris is cleared from yards, walkways, parking lots, exits, and entrances Wash down exterior walls Make sure all doors, windows, and exterior lights are in working order Ensure any damage, dents, or holes in the walls are repaired Ensure windows are cleaned and sparkling Ensure any hazardous waste is disposed of properly and in compliance with local regulations Check that any courtyards, rooftops, or balconies are free of debris and clean

 

 

Offices and Cubicles

With frequent use and numerous areas to focus on, offices and cubicles will take up a large chunk of your cleaning.

Here are the can’t-miss tasks when cleaning offices:

• Clean all surfaces, such as shelves, filing cabinets, and desks, by dusting and wiping them down
• Make sure all access cards, keys, company manuals, and company equipment are accounted for
• Wipe down doors, door knobs, and door frames
• Empty all recycling bins, paper shredders, and waste paper baskets and wipe them down
• Wipe down any walls or stained surfaces
• Touch up paint, if necessary
• Dust and wipe down all telephones, printers, computers, keyboards, monitors, mice, and photocopiers

 

Common Areas

Here are the tasks to focus on when cleaning common areas, such as hallways, waiting areas, and lobbies:

• Dust and wipe down any benches or chairs
• Sweep, mop, or vacuum floors
• Clean light fixtures, vents, and baseboards
• Empty waste and recycling bins
• Clean doors and door handles

 

Staff and Meeting Rooms

Staff and meeting rooms have similar office vacate cleaning needs to offices and cubicles.

• Sweep or vacuum floors and mop if necessary
• Empty any recycling or waste bins
• Clean doors and door handles
• Clean and wipe down all surfaces
• Empty all waste and recycling bins
• Wipe down any chairs

 

Restrooms

Restrooms require extra attention and industrial-strength cleaners that will fully sanitise toilets, floors, and sinks. Restrooms are a common area of limescale, soap scum, and build-up, so plan extra time to ensure a thorough clean.

Office Vacate Cleaning Checklist for Restrooms:

• Clean and sanitise toilets, sinks, urinals, hand dryers, paper towel and toilet dispensers, waste bins, mirrors, and soap dispensers
• Replenish paper towels, air fresheners, hand soap, and other supplies 
• Clean any grills or vents
• Thoroughly clean and mop all floors
• Scrub down all walls and bathroom doors and door handles

 

Flooring

Flooring is one of the areas that gets the dirtiest in commercial establishments. For areas with heavy foot traffic, extra time will be needed to remove buildup and restore flooring to its original state.

Carpets can get particularly grimy and require steam cleaning to sanitise and remove stains. Pay special attention to corners, which often get missed.

Office Vacate Checklist Flooring:

• Vacuum any carpeted areas to remove loose dirt and debris before a thorough steam clean
• Mop and clean any hard flooring paying extra attention to corners or areas of build up
• Polish wood floors to leave them shiny and refreshed
• Clean tile floors, with a special focus on grout, and finish with a wet vacuum
• Concrete floors need to be vacuumed, mopped, and degreased with a commercial grade degreaser and manual scrubbing

 

Windows

Windows are one of the first areas people notice on commercial buildings, making this a crucial cleaning area to focus on. However, this is also one of the more difficult areas to tackle due to window height and stubborn stains and smudges.

When you have ladders and equipment out for cleaning windows, clean soffits and fascia right away to remove stains and dirt.

• Clean all windows ensuring there are no smudged areas or stains 
• Clean any dust off of fly and security screens
• Clean any glass office partitions
• Clean any dust or dead insects out of window tracks and sills

 

Breakrooms and Kitchens

After years of heavy usage, breakrooms and kitchens often require extra attention when cleaning the fridge and appliances. We find these rooms usually don’t get the full detail they deserve.

Pay special attention to the underside of seats, fridge drawers, range hood, and the tops of cabinets, which often get forgotten.

Breakroom and Kitchen Office Vacate Cleaning Checklist:

• Clean the interior of the fridge by wiping down all surfaces and drawers and cleaning out any items 
• Remember to clean the fridge seals and use a degreaser if needed
• Empty out all cabinets and wipe down the inside and outside of cupboards
• Deep clean and sanitise drain outlets, sinks, and fixtures
• Sanitise food prep stations
• Dust and wipe down the tops of cabinets, top of the fridge, and lighting fixtures
• Make sure countertops are cleaned and sanitised
• Clean tables and chairs, remembering to wipe down table and chair legs and the underside of chairs and tables
• Wash any dishes and utensils
• Sweep and vacuum the floors and mop
• Clean all appliances, including coffee machines, exhaust, range hood, and microwave

 

Exterior

With so much focus on the interior, we find that the exterior gets overlooked. Be sure to leave enough time to thoroughly clean the exterior of your office building.

• Ensure all trash and debris is cleared from yards, walkways, parking lots, exits, and entrances
• Wash down exterior walls
• Make sure all doors, windows, and exterior lights are in working order
• Ensure any damage, dents, or holes in the walls are repaired
• Ensure windows are cleaned and sparkling
• Ensure any hazardous waste is disposed of properly and in compliance with local regulations
• Check that any courtyards, rooftops, or balconies are free of debris and clean

 

Do’s and Don’ts of End of Lease Cleaning

 

DO’s of End of Lease Cleaning:

• DO leave enough time to go through the entire office vacate cleaning checklist without a last minute, stressed rush where things may get missed
• DO take photos of each room as proof of the final condition of your commercial space
  
• DO focus on detailed cleaning and often forgotten areas, such as lighting fixtures, fans, vents, baseboards, under furniture, inside cabinets, and other inconspicuous areas
• DO double-check that you completed all the tasks on your office vacate cleaning checklist
• DO consider the benefits of hiring commercial cleaning services to ensure you leave behind a pristine office at the end of your lease. Professional commercial cleaning services have the training, specialised equipment, and heavy-duty tools to leave your leased office spotless, saving you time and ensuring you get your bond returned in full.
  
• DO consider using eco-friendly cleaning products and practices
• DO conduct the cleaning as one of the final trades attending site to avoid other trades making a mess and having to conduct cleaning multiple times. Also where possible try to allow at least one day between other contractors expected completion such as painters before sending in your cleaning team as often there are delays that can cause time pressure for all parties if allowances haven’t been factored into the planning stage.

 

DON’TS of End of Lease Cleaning

• DON’T forget common areas, such as elevators, stairwells, lobbies, and hallways if you’re the sole tenant of the building
• DON’T forget to pay just as much attention to the exterior as you do to the interior if you’re not in a multi tenant / strata building
• DON’T forget to remove all company branding
• DON’T skip the final walk-through and inspection to ensure you met all end-of-lease requirements
• DON’T forget to return the keys after the final walk-through

 

How a Professional Commercial Cleaning Service Can Help With Office Vacate Cleaning

A thorough end-of-lease clean is essential for any commercial tenant looking to get their full bond returned. By following this office vacate cleaning checklist, we hope we make the vacate process feel a little less daunting.

If you are overwhelmed by the thought of office vacate cleaning and want to focus on your next business venture, enquire about our office vacate cleaning services.

We have the specialised tools, commercial-grade supplies, eco-friendly products, and equipment specifically needed for the unique demands of commercial spaces.

By avoiding lost security bonds, ensuring a spotless space for the next tenant, saving hours of time, we strive to make the vacate process as stress-free as possible.

Contact us today for your initial consultation and learn why we’re known as one of the authorities in commercial cleaning.