Commercial End-of-Lease Cleaning for Make Good

The short answer

Commercial end-of-lease cleaning is the final clean of an office, shop or warehouse after the make-good works are finished and before the landlord's handover inspection. It removes construction dust, rubbish and marks so the premises match the condition your lease requires. There is no standard commercial checklist: your lease, the landlord's requirements and the start-of-lease condition decide what is needed.

Last reviewed 28 October 2026

Key takeaways

01Cleaning comes last, after strip-out, repairs and painting, or the dust from those works undoes it.
02Your lease decides the standard. Look for words like 'professionally cleaned', 'steam clean carpets' or 'clean and tidy'.
03Warehouses need a different clean: floor scrubbing, high-level dusting, hardstand and dock areas.
04Cleaners should never disturb suspected asbestos. Stop and get it assessed.
05Take dated photos after the clean and get written sign-off at handover.

Commercial end-of-lease cleaning is the last job in a make good. It turns a site that has just had partitions pulled out, walls patched and floors repaired into premises the landlord will accept at the handover inspection.

It is not the same as a residential bond clean. There is no standard checklist for commercial premises. What counts as "clean enough" comes from your lease, any make-good requirements the landlord gives you, and the condition the premises were in when you moved in. This page covers offices, shops and warehouses in Melbourne and Sydney. It is general information, not legal advice.

Where does cleaning fit in a make good?

Cleaning comes last. If it happens before the strip-out or painting is finished, the dust from those works undoes it and you pay twice.

Step	What happens	Why the order matters
1. Remove furniture and equipment	Your own items go first	Cleaners and trades need empty space
2. Strip-out	Partitions, joinery, cabling, signage come out	The dustiest stage
3. Repairs and reinstatement	Ceilings, lights, walls and floors put back as the lease requires	More dust and offcuts
4. Patch and paint	Walls filled and repainted	Paint must be dry before the clean
5. Floor treatment	Carpet cleaned or replaced; hard floors scrubbed or sealed	Usually just before or as part of the clean
6. Final clean	Every surface, fixture and room	This is the condition the landlord inspects
7. Inspection and sign-off	Walk-through with the landlord or agent	Any defects get fixed, then a touch-up clean

For the full set of works, see office make good, retail make good and warehouse make good.

What does a commercial vacate clean usually cover?

Your lease is the starting point. Look for phrases such as "clean and tidy", "professionally cleaned", "free of rubbish" or "steam clean all carpets". Then compare the premises with the start-of-lease condition report. The Victorian and NSW Small Business Commissions both recommend a condition report at the start of a lease, and the NSW guide says that at the end you may be able to refer back to it.

Offices

Dust and wipe all walls, skirting, doors, door frames and switches
Clean internal glass, glazed partitions, window frames, sills and tracks
Vacuum and, if required, hot-water extract (steam) clean carpets
Strip, scrub or mop hard floors
Clean kitchenette: benches, sinks, cupboards inside and out, splashbacks
Clean and descale bathrooms if they are inside your tenancy
Wipe light diffusers and air-conditioning grilles that can be reached safely
Remove all rubbish, tape, cable ties, brackets and fixings left by the strip-out

In CBD towers, ask building management about loading dock times for waste removal and whether external windows are the building's job. In multi-storey buildings they often are, but check.

Shops and retail tenancies

Everything in the office list, plus shopfront glass and frames inside and out where the lease makes them yours
Remove adhesive and residue from signage and window graphics
Clean the back-of-house, storeroom and any staff areas
For food premises, clean exhaust canopies and surrounds to the standard the lease or centre requires. Grease traps and exhaust ducts may need a specialist service

Shopping centres often have their own rules about when cleaning and waste removal can happen. Ask centre management before you book.

Warehouses and industrial units

A warehouse clean is a different job. It is about large floor areas, high-level dust and outdoor areas.

Sweep and machine-scrub the warehouse slab
Remove pallet debris, shrink-wrap, strapping and floor tape
Dust high-level areas where safe access is possible (beams, ledges, light fittings), using the right equipment for working at height
Clean the office and amenities areas in the warehouse
Clean loading docks, roller doors and dock levellers
Pressure clean hardstand, driveways and yard areas if the lease includes them
Treat oil or chemical stains as the lease requires. Some stains need a floor repair, not just a clean

Floor repairs such as filling racking anchor holes or removing line marking are make-good works, not cleaning. Make sure they are on the contractor's scope and finished before the clean.

Is cleaning enough, or do I need repairs too?

Cleaning removes dirt. It does not fix damage. If your lease asks you to return the premises in a stated condition, stained carpet, scuffed paint or a cracked floor tile may need repair or replacement, not just cleaning.

Some leases exclude fair wear and tear, but read the wording. The Victorian Small Business Commission says retail tenants' make good typically includes repairing damage "above fair wear and tear". Its FAQs also note that a repainting clause can require a repaint to new condition, even where the walls were in poor condition at the start, if that is what the tenant agreed to. Carpet and floor clauses can work the same way. See make-good clauses explained for how fair wear and tear wording works.

What can cleaners not touch?

Cleaners should not disturb anything that may contain asbestos. In older buildings this can include some floor tiles, ceiling materials, wall sheeting and pipe lagging.

In Victoria, before refurbishment work the person who manages or controls the workplace must review the asbestos register, and asbestos removal is licensed work except for small, limited jobs (OHS Regulations 2017 (Vic) regs 241, 246, 250).
SafeWork NSW says workplaces built before 31 December 2003 need an asbestos register, and removing more than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos, or any friable asbestos, needs a licence.

If a cleaner finds broken or crumbling material that might be asbestos, they should stop and you should get it assessed before anyone continues.

Hazardous waste such as chemicals, oils, paint and e-waste should go to an appropriate disposal service, not general bins. Confidential paper should be shredded securely before you hand back the keys.

How do I prove the premises were left clean?

Evidence protects your bond or bank guarantee if the landlord later says the premises were not clean.

Take dated photos and video of every room and area straight after the final clean, including floors, kitchens, bathrooms, glass and outdoor areas.
Keep the cleaner's invoice and scope, showing what was cleaned and when.
Book a joint inspection with the landlord or their agent before you return the keys.
Fix any listed defects quickly, then get confirmation in writing.
Get written sign-off from the landlord, not just a verbal "looks fine" from the agent.

When should I get my bond or bank guarantee back?

That depends on your lease and, for retail leases, your state's law. In Victoria, for a retail lease, the landlord must return a security deposit within 30 days after the lease ends if the tenant has performed all its obligations under the lease (Retail Leases Act 2003 (Vic) s 24). The NSW Retail Tenancy Guide says a lessor should release a bank guarantee within two months of the lessee leaving, unless money is owed. For office and industrial leases that are not retail leases, your lease decides. If you are in dispute, contact the Victorian Small Business Commission or the NSW Small Business Commission, or speak to a lawyer.

How much does commercial end-of-lease cleaning cost?

We don't publish a price. We found no reliable public source for commercial vacate-clean rates in Melbourne or Sydney, and the job varies too much for one figure to be useful. What drives the cost:

Floor area and type. Carpet, hard floors and warehouse slab are priced differently.
How much dust the make good left. A full strip-out leaves far more than a patch and paint.
Kitchens, bathrooms and food areas. These take the most time.
Height and access. High-level dusting in warehouses may need lifts or other equipment.
Carpet requirements. Steam cleaning versus replacement.
After-hours or restricted access. Common in CBD towers and shopping centres.
Waste volume and type. General rubbish versus regulated waste.

The most reliable way to know is to have the clean priced as part of the same written scope as the rest of your make good, so every contractor quotes the same thing.

How MAKE GREAT can help

MAKE GREAT is a technology marketplace for commercial make good. We don't employ cleaners or builders.

Analyse my lease. Our lease check reads your lease and highlights the cleaning, repair and make-good clauses with page references. It is a preliminary assessment, not legal advice, and a person reviews anything unclear.
Get my make-good quotes. We include the final clean in a single scope with the rest of your make good, then invite up to three independent contractors who cover your area to inspect and quote. If fewer than three are available, we tell you.
Compare quotes. We lay out what each quote includes and excludes, so you can see whether the clean, waste removal and carpet work are covered. You choose and contract directly with the contractor.

How we are paid: Free for tenants. If you hire a contractor through us, they pay us a referral fee. Nobody can pay to rank higher. We don't promise a saving. See how our referral fee works.

End-of-lease cleaning checklist

For the full end-of-lease process, see the office make good checklist or the warehouse make good checklist, or start with what is make good.

General information only, not legal advice. Get advice from a property lawyer about your own lease.

Frequently asked questions

Is commercial end-of-lease cleaning the same as a bond clean?

No. A commercial vacate clean is set by your lease, the landlord's requirements and the start-of-lease condition, not by a standard list. It also usually follows strip-out and repair work, so it must deal with construction dust and debris, not just everyday dirt.

When should the end-of-lease clean happen?

After all strip-out, repairs, painting and floor work are finished, and as close as practical to the handover inspection. If trades return after the clean, plan a touch-up clean. Book it early, because the clean is often squeezed at the very end of a make good.

Do I have to steam clean or replace the carpet?

It depends on your lease. Some clauses ask for carpets to be professionally cleaned, some for floor coverings to be replaced, and some only for the premises to be left clean. Read the clause and compare the carpet with the start-of-lease condition report before you decide.

Who cleans the outside of the windows in an office tower?

In multi-storey buildings, external windows are often cleaned by the building rather than individual tenants, but check your lease and ask building management. Internal glass, partitions and window frames inside your tenancy are normally part of your clean.

What happens to my bond or bank guarantee after the clean?

It depends on your lease and state. For Victorian retail leases, the landlord must return a security deposit within 30 days after the lease ends if you met all lease obligations. The NSW Retail Tenancy Guide says a lessor should release a bank guarantee within two months unless money is owed. For other leases, check the lease.

Should the make-good contractor or a separate cleaner do the final clean?

Either can work. Including the clean in the make-good contractor's scope puts one party in charge of handing over a clean site. A separate specialist cleaner can suit larger offices or warehouses. Make sure the clean is on someone's scope so it is not missed.

Sources

Primary sources we checked when writing this page. Laws and guidance change, so check the current version.