Office decommissioning: how to clear out a space before your lease ends
By the ATIS team · · 5 min read
Closing an office, downsizing or moving out at the end of a lease comes with a hard deadline: the space has to be empty and ready to hand back. That's where office decommissioning comes in. Here's what it covers and how to plan it so you're not scrambling in the last week.
Decommissioning vs. liquidation: what's the difference?
People use these words interchangeably, but they're two parts of the same job:
- Decommissioning is the full clear-out. Furniture comes down, IT gear gets disconnected and removed, and the space gets emptied so you can return it to the landlord.
- Liquidation is what happens to the furniture and equipment you don't keep. Usable items can be resold, donated or recycled instead of going to a landfill.
Most clients need both. You can learn more about our decommissioning and liquidation and cleanout services.
Start with your lease
Read the surrender terms in your lease before you plan anything. Look for what condition the space needs to be in, whether you have to remove cabling or anything you installed, and the exact date you need to be out. That tells you how much time you really have and what "done" looks like.
Sort what stays, goes and moves
Go room by room and tag everything as one of three things:
- Keep: moving to another office or into storage
- Liquidate: furniture you won't need again
- Recycle or dispose: old electronics, broken items and anything that can't be reused
Don't forget data and documents
Computers, servers, copiers and phones can hold sensitive data. Plan how that equipment will be handled before it leaves the building, and send old electronics through proper e-waste recycling. Paper files you don't need should go to secure shredding, not the dumpster.
Leave time for the last mile
The final stretch is often the slowest part. Once the furniture is gone, there may be cabling to pull, walls to patch or a final cleaning before the walkthrough with your landlord. Build that into the schedule instead of hoping it'll fit.
See it in action
Want to see what a large decommissioning project looks like? Check out our Carparts.com case study, where the client talks about how the project went in their own words.
ATIS handles office and warehouse decommissioning from start to finish, with one point of contact and one project manager. Send us the details and we'll put together a free quote.
