In central London the distance between two offices is rarely the hard part. The hard part is the buildings: who’s allowed in, when the goods lift is free, where a vehicle can stop, and what paperwork the building manager wants before any of that happens.
This guide covers what to sort out with both buildings, how parking and vehicle rules affect the day, and how to time the move so your team doesn’t lose working days. For help with the move itself, see our office removals in London.
What makes a central London office move different
- Shared buildings. Many offices in the City, the West End and Midtown share lifts, loading bays and reception with other tenants.
- Building management rules. Landlords and managing agents set their own rules for moves, and they work to their own lead times, not yours.
- Very little kerb space. Yellow lines, red routes and busy streets limit where a vehicle can stop.
- Vehicle charges and standards. The Congestion Charge applies inside its zone, the ULEZ covers every London borough, and heavier lorries face extra rules.
None of this is a reason not to move. It’s a reason to start the conversations early.
Talk to both building managers first
Do this before you fix a date. Ask each one, in writing.
What they’ll want from your mover
Ask what the building needs before move day. Depending on the building, it may include:
- A risk assessment and method statement (often called RAMS): how the move will be done safely.
- Insurance certificates, sometimes with a minimum level of cover.
- A list of vehicles and crew, and sometimes their arrival times.
- A floor plan showing where furniture is going.
Get the list early, so your mover has time to prepare it.
Goods lift and loading bay bookings
Ask:
- Is there a goods lift? What are its door and car sizes?
- Can it be booked for the whole move? Can it be held for you alone?
- Is there a loading bay? How long can a vehicle stay? Does it need booking?
- Will the building need security or an engineer on site, and is there a charge?
A goods lift that’s only available for two hours on a Saturday morning shapes the whole plan, so find out early, and get the slot in writing.
Parking and vehicle access
Suspensions and loading restrictions
If there’s no loading bay, the vehicle may need a parking bay suspended, or permission to stand on a yellow line while it loads (a dispensation). Each council sets its own notice periods, fees and application routes. Two central examples, checked on the councils’ own sites on 21 Oct 2026:
- City of London: the Corporation needs six working days to process a parking bay suspension and three working days for a dispensation. If a vehicle is to stand on a suspended bay, you also need a dispensation.
- Westminster: the council asks for 10 working days’ notice for a bay suspension, and lists a removal van for an office move as a reason for one. You can apply online through its self-serve booking system. A yellow line dispensation needs at least 3 days’ notice.
Fees are set out on each council’s own page and change, so check them there. Red routes are different again: most are managed by Transport for London, their signs and markings tell you what you can and can’t do, and red route dispensations come from TfL rather than the council.
At the survey we tell you what each address needs and how far ahead the application has to go in, so it’s made once and on time.
Congestion Charge and emissions zones
These are TfL’s rules as published on 21 Oct 2026:
- Congestion Charge: an £18 daily charge if paid on the day or in advance. It applies 7:00–18:00 Monday to Friday and 12:00–18:00 at weekends and on bank holidays, with no charge between Christmas Day and the New Year’s Day bank holiday. Use TfL’s postcode checker to see whether either address is in the zone.
- ULEZ: runs across all London boroughs, 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day. Vans up to and including 3.5 tonnes that don’t meet the standards pay a £12.50 daily charge.
- LEZ: heavier vehicles, such as lorries over 3.5 tonnes, don’t pay the ULEZ charge, but must pay the LEZ charge if they don’t meet the LEZ standard. The LEZ covers most of Greater London, 24 hours a day.
- Lorries over 12 tonnes also need a Direct Vision Standard (HGV Safety) permit, which TfL says operates at all times.
For moves into the Congestion Charge zone, we build the charge into your quote up front, and our vehicles meet ULEZ emissions standards. Whoever you use, ask whether their vehicles meet the standards and whether any charges are in the quote.
Night and weekend lorry controls
The London Lorry Control Scheme controls lorries over 18 tonnes maximum gross weight on restricted roads from 9pm to 7am Monday to Friday, and from 1pm Saturday to 7am Monday. Those are exactly the hours most office moves happen. If a vehicle of that size needs a restricted road during those hours, it needs a permission from London Councils (permissions are free). If your move uses a large vehicle at night or at the weekend, ask your mover how they’ve planned for it.
Timing: evenings and weekends
Many London office buildings, particularly in the City, only allow moves outside core hours. That suits most businesses anyway: staff leave on Friday and start in the new office on Monday. See how we run evening and weekend office moves.
Two things to plan around:
- Both buildings’ windows have to overlap. If the old building only allows Saturday and the new one only Sunday, you’ll need a two-day plan, with somewhere safe for your things overnight. Ask your mover how they’d handle it.
- IT support has to work the same hours. Disconnecting and reconnecting servers, workstations and phones is your IT provider’s job, so book them early.
Shared buildings and other tenants
If you move during the day, other tenants will be using the lifts and corridors. Ask the building manager to tell them, keep corridors clear, and protect common areas: floors, lift walls, door frames. Damage to common parts can turn into a dispute with the landlord, so agree who checks their condition before and after, and take photos.
A central London office move timeline
| When | What |
|---|---|
| As soon as you know your date range | Brief both building managers and ask for their move rules. Book the mover’s survey of both sites. Order broadband and phone lines for the new office |
| 6 weeks before | Fix the date to suit both buildings. Book goods lifts and loading bays. Book IT support |
| 3–4 weeks before | Apply for any parking suspensions and dispensations, well ahead of each council’s notice period. Send RAMS and certificates to both buildings |
| 2 weeks before | Final floor plan and labelling. Agree with your mover when the crates arrive |
| Move window | Load, move, place to plan. Your IT provider reconnects |
| First morning | Walk the floor, fix the snags, return the old building’s access passes |
Treat these as a starting point: the survey and the buildings’ rules set the real dates. The full plan is in our office move project plan, and the task list is in our office relocation checklist.
How we plan central London office moves
We start with an on-site or video survey of both buildings to assess volume, access, parking and anything specialist. We assign a project coordinator and produce a move plan before anything moves. We liaise with both building managers in advance, confirm loading bay bookings, and plan arrival times around each building’s access windows. Evening and weekend moves are standard. Everything is crated and labelled to its position on the new floor plan, and your IT provider handles disconnection and reconnection to a schedule we agree with them.
You then get an itemised written quotation, built on an agreed inventory, with anything charged separately set out at the survey.
Tell us both addresses and your preferred dates, and we’ll start with the building managers’ rules. Request a quote, or read more about our office removals in London. Before you choose any mover, our questions to ask before hiring an office relocation company may help.
Frequently asked questions
What do building managers ask office movers for?
It varies by building, but it can include a risk assessment and method statement, insurance certificates, the vehicle and crew details, and agreed times for the lift and loading bay. Ask both buildings for their list early.
Can removal lorries park in the City of London?
Only where the street markings allow loading, or with permission. In the City, a bay suspension takes six working days to process, and a vehicle standing on a suspended bay also needs a dispensation. Red routes are managed by TfL. Your mover should check access at both buildings and apply where needed.
Do we need to book the goods lift?
In most managed buildings, yes. Book it as early as you can and get the slot in writing, because it decides when your move can happen.
Last reviewed: 22 October 2026.