Four weeks out, read your tenancy agreement for what must be removed or reinstated, and book your mover or removal. Three weeks out, sort the flat and start selling and donating. Two weeks out, book the free government appliance collection if you need it (about a week's wait) and tell building management your moving date. In the final week, take down anything you installed, clear every cupboard, clean, and photograph each room before you return the keys.
Before you start
- Your tenancy agreement and any check-in inventory or photos
- A calendar with your handover date
- Boxes, tape, bin bags and labels
- Screwdrivers for hooks, shelves and TV brackets
- Cleaning kit, or a booked cleaner
- Your phone for dated photos and videos
Step by step
Step 1
Four weeks out: read the tenancy
Find the clauses on handing back the flat: what must be removed, what condition it must be in, and anything about the deposit. Dig out the check-in inventory and photos. If something isn't clear, ask the landlord or agent in writing now, not at the handover.
Step 2
Four weeks out: book the people
Book your mover and any removal for the same week, ideally the same day for a single handover run. If you're leaving Hong Kong altogether, see our moving out of Hong Kong guide.
Step 3
Three weeks out: sort every room
Go room by room with four piles: keep, sell or give, recycle, dispose. Measure big pieces you're keeping against the new place. Our decluttering guide has the full method.
Step 4
Three weeks out: list and donate
Photograph sale items and list them with dimensions and the nearest MTR station. Make charity offers early; reviews and drop-off slots take time.
Step 5
Two weeks out: book appliance collection and the lift
For regulated appliances you're not replacing, book the free government collection on 2676 8888 or WhatsApp 6081 5096; EPD currently says about a week. Tell the management office your moving date and ask about lift booking, protection and allowed hours.
Step 6
Final week: take down what you installed
Remove hooks, shelves, curtain rails and TV brackets you put up, unless the landlord has agreed in writing that they stay. Fill small holes neatly, or ask about repainting; our sister company Brothers Painting does move-out repaints.
Step 7
Final days: clear, clean and check
Empty every cupboard, drawer, the fridge, the balcony and any storage cage. Check behind and on top of wardrobes, inside the washing machine and the oven. Clean, including kitchen grease, bathroom mould and windows.
Step 8
Handover day: photograph and return the keys
Take dated photos and a walk-through video of every room, meter readings and the inside of appliances that stay. Do the inspection with the landlord or agent if you can, return all keys and cards, and get a written acknowledgement.
Fixed quote on WhatsApp Send 2–3 photos, your area and lift or stairs. Fixed, all-in quote, usually in 15 minutes.
WhatsApp a photo for a quoteThe four-week timeline at a glance
| When | Do this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 4 weeks | Read the tenancy; book mover and removal | Good dates go first; you need to know what must be removed |
| 3 weeks | Sort every room; list items for sale; offer donations | Selling and charity reviews take time |
| 2 weeks | Book appliance collection; tell building management; book the lift | The free collection is about a week out; buildings may set moving hours |
| 1 week | Remove fittings you installed; recycle; arrange cleaning | Leaves time to fix holes and marks |
| Last 1–2 days | Final clearance, clean, photos, meter readings, keys | Your evidence for the deposit conversation |
Hong Kong details that catch tenants out
- Building management. Many buildings want notice of a move, set moving hours and ask for lift protection. Some need a form from the tenant or landlord.
- Refuse collection point hours. FEHD refuse collection points accept furniture during opening hours, generally 7:00am to 3:30pm, later in busy areas. An evening clear-out has nowhere legal to go.
- Don't leave it in the corridor. Items left in common areas are a fire-escape problem, and furniture left in a public place can lead to a fixed penalty: HK$3,000 for depositing litter or waste in a public place, or HK$6,000 for illegal disposal of a large amount of waste.
- Humidity marks. Months of damp leave mould on walls behind wardrobes and in bathrooms. Check behind large furniture early, so you have time to treat it.
- Utilities and mail. Arrange final meter readings for electricity, gas and water, and set up mail redirection or update your address with banks and the government.
Deposit tips
This isn't legal advice; your tenancy agreement governs. Handovers tend to go smoothly when three things are in place: the tenant knew what the agreement required, the flat was clear and clean, and there were dated photos of every room. Raise anything you're unsure about with the landlord or agent in writing before the day.
What affects the cost
Most of a move-out clearance can be done for free if you have time: selling, donating, GREEN@COMMUNITY and the government appliance collection. If you book a removal for the final clearance, the price depends on:
- How much is left and how big it is
- Access: lift, stairs, loading area and how close the truck can park
- Dismantling, and anything fixed to the wall
- The date: handover deadlines leave less flexibility
We combine moving what you keep with removing what you don't in one booking; see move-out clearance.
Questions about this
How early should I start a move-out clearance?
About four weeks before the handover. That leaves time to sell and donate, book the free government appliance collection (about a week's wait) and arrange the lift with building management.
Do I need to remove the hooks and shelves I put up?
Check your tenancy agreement. Many require the flat to be returned in its original condition, so remove what you installed unless the landlord agrees in writing that it can stay, and make good any holes.
Can my old appliances be collected for free?
Regulated appliances can: book the government operator on 2676 8888 or WhatsApp 6081 5096 if you're not buying new. If you are, the seller must arrange free removal of your old one of the same type.
What should I photograph at handover?
Every room from the doorway, walls and floors, inside cupboards, the kitchen and bathroom, appliances that stay, and meter readings, with dates. A walk-through video helps too.
Can the removal and the move happen on the same day?
Yes. It's often the simplest way: one crew moves what you keep and takes away what you don't. Tell us the handover date when you ask for a quote.
Sources
Official rules and figures in this guide come from these public sources. We check them when we update the guide; if anything has changed, the source wins.
