What do you clear after a tenancy ends?
Furniture, boxes, household goods and whatever else has been left in the flat or house, from one room to the whole property. You can ask for a full clearance, or a part clearance if only some rooms need emptying.
Ring the office or send the quote form with a few photos, and we’ll say what is involved.
What can go to auction, and how is the money paid?
Anything saleable goes into our fortnightly Saturday sale: furniture, glassware, pictures, household goods and collectable pieces. Larger items going to auction are collected free, with some exceptions depending on the item and where it is. Our fees are deducted and the balance is paid to you. Anything that sells carries our usual seller fees: a £4 lot fee per item, sold or unsold, plus 22% commission (with VAT on the commission only) when it sells.
Most of what is left in a let property is everyday furniture, so don’t expect the sale to pay for the whole job. A free verbal valuation tells you what is worth selling before anything is moved.
Our seller rules
Electrical goods need a BSI-compliant plug. We don’t accept mains-connectable gas appliances. White goods must be clean and presentable. Furniture must carry a valid fire-safety label. We can refuse any item. The rules and fees are set out under selling at auction.
Before anything is cleared
Make sure you are entitled to clear what is there. Belongings a tenant has left behind can raise legal questions about how long they must be kept and what may be done with them, so check with your letting agent, or take advice from a solicitor, before anything goes. This is not legal advice.
A few things are worth doing first:
- Photograph each room before anything moves, so you have a record alongside the inventory.
- Set aside papers, post, documents and anything that looks personal or valuable.
- Keep a note of what was there and the date it was cleared.
Can the clearance fit around check-out and inventory dates?
Clearances can be booked at a time that suits you. When you ring, give us the check-out date, the date the next tenant moves in if there is one, and whether an inventory or inspection comes first. We’ll tell you what we can do once we know what is in the property. We don’t promise dates before we have seen the job.
Working with letting agents
An agent can ring or send the quote form on a landlord’s behalf. We can arrange access with you or your agent, so tell us who to speak to when you call. We work regularly with solicitors, estate agents and executors, and the page for solicitors, executors & estate agents explains how that works.
Why not take it to the tip yourself?
For a few bags, you can. For a flat, it is not that simple. Leeds City Council says that if you bring trade or business waste to a household waste recycling centre “you could be fined or imprisoned”, and that this “includes landlords bringing waste from rented properties”. What won’t sell is removed for you by a licensed waste carrier we work with.
How is an end of tenancy clearance priced?
Clearances are priced on the volume and nature of what needs removing, and the cost may be covered or reduced by what sells at auction. We don’t print a price list because we can’t give a fair figure without knowing what’s in the property. See how our clearance works for the full breakdown.
Questions about end of tenancy clearance
What happens to a former tenant’s belongings left in the property?
Anything saleable can go into our auction and the rest is removed, but first make sure you are entitled to clear it. The rules on what a landlord may do with belongings left behind are a legal question, so ask your letting agent or a solicitor before you book. We clear what you instruct us to clear.
Can my letting agent book the clearance for me?
Yes. An agent can ring the office or send the quote form on your behalf, and we can arrange access with you or your agent. Tell us who to deal with when you call.
Can the clearance fit around check-out and inventory dates?
Clearances can be booked at a time that suits you. Give us your check-out date, the next move-in date and any inspection when you ring, and we’ll tell you what we can do once we know what is in the property.
Who pays for an end of tenancy clearance, the landlord or the tenant?
That depends on the tenancy agreement and, where a deposit is held, the deposit scheme, so it isn’t something we can decide. We deal with whoever books the clearance. The cost may be covered or reduced by what sells at auction.