A commercial end of tenancy cleaning checklist should cover every area the landlord’s surveyor will look at: offices, kitchens, washrooms, carpets, windows and anywhere fixtures have been taken out. Your lease sets the standard the premises must be returned to, so start there. A thorough clean, timed after the strip-out and before the final inspection and backed by photos, puts you in a much stronger position in any dilapidations discussion.

Start with the lease, not the mop

Every lease is different and we are not here to give legal advice. What we see is that tenants who read the repair and yielding-up clauses early, and check whether a schedule of condition was agreed at the start, have far fewer surprises. Some leases simply say the premises must be left clean; others ask for specific work, such as professional carpet cleaning. If your lease ends on the June quarter day, May is the time to plan, not the week before. If anything is unclear, ask your solicitor or surveyor before the strip-out begins.

Commercial end of tenancy cleaning checklist, area by area

Offices and meeting rooms

  • High-level dusting: tops of partitions, cable trays, light diffusers and air-conditioning grilles
  • Walls, doors, frames, switches and sockets wiped down, with scuffs treated carefully
  • Window sills, blinds and internal glass, including glazed partitions
  • Floor boxes vacuumed out

Kitchens and breakout areas

Degrease the cupboards inside and out, the sink, taps, splashbacks and any extraction. Defrost and clean fridges that stay with the building and leave them switched off with the doors open. Check behind and under any appliances being removed, as that floor space is often the dirtiest in the building.

Washrooms

Descale taps, toilets, urinals and tiles. Cambridge water is hard, and washrooms that have only had a daily clean often carry years of limescale. Clean the cubicle partitions, vents, mirrors and floors, paying attention to grout lines and around the base of each pan.

Carpets and floors

Traffic lanes and chair marks usually need hot water extraction rather than vacuuming, and hard floors may need machine scrubbing. Our carpet cleaning can be booked as part of the same clean.

Windows

Internal glass, frames and sills belong in the clean. External glass, especially above the ground floor, needs commercial window cleaning.

What about removed fixtures and fittings?

A strip-out leaves its own mess: holes where screens and signage were fixed, adhesive from floor tape and signs, dust from cable removal and outlines on walls where furniture stood. Cleaning cannot fill holes or repaint, so arrange any reinstatement works first and book the clean afterwards. Otherwise the decorators’ dust settles on a freshly cleaned floor. Adhesive residue needs care, as the wrong solvent can damage vinyl or paintwork.

Photos, handover and the landlord’s surveyor

When the clean is done, take dated photos of every room, with close-ups of floors, kitchens and washrooms, and keep the cleaning invoice with them. If you can, arrange the final inspection with the landlord’s surveyor shortly after the clean, before anyone else uses the space. Walking round together lets you agree small items on the spot, and a cleaner can often return to put them right before they turn into a cost claim.

Frequently asked questions

When should we book the end of tenancy clean?

After the strip-out and any reinstatement works are finished, and ideally a few days before the final inspection. That leaves time to put right anything the surveyor picks up.

Can the clean be done outside working hours?

Yes. We can work early mornings, evenings or weekends, which helps if you share a reception or part of the building is still occupied.

Is cleaning the same as dilapidations?

No. Dilapidations cover the tenant’s wider obligations under the lease, which can include repairs, redecoration and reinstatement. Cleaning is one part of it, so take advice from a surveyor or solicitor on the rest.

How CamClean can help

We carry out commercial end of tenancy cleaning for offices, laboratories and business units across Cambridge, Cambourne, St Neots and Huntingdon. Our staff are vetted and insured, and we can work around your move-out dates, including evenings and weekends. Call 01954 783308 or request a free, tailored quote.