Make Good Dandenong: Factories, Warehouses and Offices

The short answer

A make good in Dandenong is the end-of-lease work your lease requires before you hand back the premises. In Dandenong South that usually means a factory or warehouse: removing machinery, plant and services you installed, repairing the slab and walls, and cleaning up any spills. In central Dandenong it is more often an office or shop fit-out. Your lease clause sets the scope.

Last reviewed 28 October 2026

Key takeaways

01Manufacturing tenancies leave more behind than warehouses: machine footings, compressed air lines, dust extraction, three-phase power and spray booths.
02If you used or stored chemicals, oils or fuels, ask early whether the landlord expects an environmental check.
03Electrical and gas disconnections must be done by licensed trades, and the asbestos register must be reviewed before strip-out.
04Plan machinery removal around your production shutdown, because the make good cannot finish until the plant is out.
05City of Greater Dandenong is the council for permits in Dandenong, Dandenong South and Keysborough.

Dandenong is a major business centre in Melbourne's south-east, and the City of Greater Dandenong is the council. Most make-good work here happens in Dandenong South, a large industrial area of factories and warehouses along roads such as Abbotts Road and Greens Road, close to the Monash Freeway, EastLink and the South Gippsland Highway. Many tenants there make or process things rather than just store them. Central Dandenong, around Lonsdale Street and the Dandenong Market, has offices, shops and service businesses with very different make-good needs.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Your lease decides what you must do. For advice on your obligations, speak to a lawyer or the Victorian Small Business Commission.

What does a factory make good involve in Dandenong South?

A manufacturing tenancy usually leaves more behind than a storage warehouse. The lease clause decides the scope, but these are the items that most often come up:

Item	What the lease may require
Machinery and plant	Remove it, along with its footings, bolts and guarding
Services you added	Remove compressed air lines, dust extraction, water and drainage connections, gas lines and extra switchboards, then make the remaining services safe
Slab	Fill machine pits and trenches, grind off bolts, repair cracks and oil-stained or chemically damaged areas
Spray booths and fume extraction	Remove them and seal roof or wall penetrations so the building stays weatherproof
Walls, doors and bollards	Repair forklift and impact damage, repair roller doors
Office and amenities	Remove partitions and fit-out you added, patch, paint and clean
Yard	Clear stored materials, pallets and waste; repair hardstand damage if the lease requires it

For storage and distribution sites, the Melbourne warehouse make-good page covers racking, anchor holes and line marking in more detail.

Why does machinery removal change the timing?

The make good cannot finish until production stops and the plant is out. That means you are planning three things at once: your production shutdown, the machinery move or sale, and the make-good works. Riggers and machinery movers, electricians and make-good contractors all need access in the right order.

A practical order looks like this:

Agree the make-good scope with the landlord in writing.
Book the electrician to isolate and disconnect machines.
Remove machinery, then disconnect and strip the services that fed it.
Repair the slab, walls and doors.
Clean, then do a joint inspection with the landlord.

If the works run past your lease end date, check what your lease says about holding over. The lease exit timeline has a fuller version.

What licences and safety checks apply?

Electrical. Disconnecting machine circuits, three-phase outlets and added switchboards is electrical work. In Victoria it must be done by a licensed electrician, and installation work is inspected by a licensed electrical inspector, who must issue a certificate of inspection within 4 business days (Electricity Safety Act 1998, ss 38 and 45).
Gas. Gas lines to ovens, heaters or process equipment must be capped by a licensed or registered gasfitter, because this is gasfitting work (Plumbing Regulations 2018 (Vic), reg 19).
Asbestos. Older Dandenong South buildings may contain asbestos. Under the OHS Regulations 2017 (Vic), the asbestos register must be reviewed before refurbishment or demolition work (regs 240 and 241). Any friable asbestos, or more than 10 m² of non-friable asbestos (or more than an hour of removal work in 7 days), needs a licensed removalist (regs 246 and 250).
Permits. Removing structures such as mezzanines, internal walls or large plant platforms can be building work that needs a permit. The exemption for minor alterations does not cover work that changes floor area, removes load-bearing parts or affects an essential safety measure (Building Regulations 2018, Schedule 3 item 4). Ask a registered building surveyor.

What if we used chemicals, oils or fuels on site?

Some leases require the tenant to clean up any contamination, or to provide a report, at the end of the lease. Others say nothing. Check your lease, and ask the landlord early whether they expect an environmental check. EPA Victoria publishes guidance for businesses on contaminated land. If you think the site may be affected, get legal and environmental advice before you agree a scope. A make-good contractor can clean up visible spills, but cannot certify that land is free of contamination.

What about offices and shops in central Dandenong?

Offices and shops around Lonsdale Street, Thomas Street and the Dandenong Market follow the usual pattern: remove your fit-out, patch and paint, repair floors and remove signage. If your shop is on a retail lease, the Retail Leases Act 2003 (Vic) may apply (s 4). Under s 24, a landlord must return a cash security deposit within 30 days after the lease ends if you have met all your obligations. The retail make-good page explains more.

How MAKE GREAT helps Dandenong tenants

Get my make-good quotes. We prepare a written brief, including plant and services you list, and invite up to three vetted independent contractors who cover the south-east. If fewer than three are available, we tell you.
Analyse my lease. Our lease check lists what your lease appears to require, what is unclear and what the documents do not establish, with page references. It is preliminary, not legal advice, and a person reviews unclear clauses.

You choose the contractor and contract with them directly. Free for tenants. If you hire a contractor through us, they pay us a referral fee. Nobody can pay to rank higher. We do not promise that you will save money.

Get my make-good quotes or analyse my lease. For western industrial areas see Truganina and Laverton, or go to the Melbourne make-good hub.

Services in Melbourne

Other Melbourne areas

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

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to remove my machinery and the services connected to it?

Usually yes, if you installed them and your lease says to return the premises to their original condition or to remove tenant's fixtures. That often includes the power, compressed air, water and drainage you added for each machine. Check the clause and any consent the landlord gave when the plant went in.

What happens to machine footings and pits in the slab?

If you cut the slab for footings, pits or trenches, the lease will usually expect them filled or made level and safe. How it is finished depends on the lease and on what the landlord agrees. Get the repair method in writing so it is not argued about at handover.

Do I need an environmental check before I leave a factory in Dandenong South?

It depends on your lease, your activities and the law that applies to your site. Some leases require a clean-up or a report when the tenant has used chemicals or fuels. EPA Victoria publishes guidance on contaminated land. Get legal advice if you think the site may be affected.

Who disconnects three-phase power and machine circuits?

A licensed electrician. In Victoria, electrical installation work must be done by a licensed electrician, and that work is inspected by a licensed electrical inspector who issues a certificate. Ask for the certificate and keep it with your handover documents.

Is my central Dandenong shop on a retail lease?

It may be. The Retail Leases Act 2003 (Vic) covers premises used wholly or predominantly to sell or hire goods by retail or to provide retail services, with exclusions. Retail leases get extra protections, such as rules on returning a security deposit. A lawyer can confirm your position.

How early should I start planning a factory make good?

As early as you can. Moving or selling machinery, cancelling services, agreeing the scope with the landlord, getting quotes and arranging asbestos or electrical work all take time, and the physical make good can only finish once production has stopped and the plant is out.

Sources

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