furniture · Ontario

Where to donate furniture in Ottawa

5 organizations in and around Ottawa that take donated furniture — what each one accepts, what it turns away, and which will come and collect it.

Verified 2026-09-24 from each organization's own website. We are not affiliated with anyone listed here, nobody pays to be included, and we receive nothing if you donate to them.

With furniture, value runs opposite to bulk: the sofa you most want gone is the hardest thing in the house to give away, and the plain brown dresser you were going to put on the curb may be the only thing in the room worth money. Before you call anyone, pull a drawer out and look at the joint. Solid wood or particleboard is the one fact that decides whether you are making calls or filling the bin.

How to tell what you have got

Before you call anyone, two minutes with the object settles most of it. None of this needs an expert — it needs a flashlight and a look at the back.

  • Mid-century teak or walnut carrying a maker's markTip the piece forward or pull the bottom drawer right out and look at the underside and the back panel. You are looking for a branded or stamped maker's mark, a metal tag, or a paper label - often on the underside of a drawer bottom, inside the carcass back, or under a table top. Photograph it before anything moves, then search the exact wording of the mark.
  • Teak or rosewood sideboards and credenzasSolid wood, not veneer over particleboard: look at the top edge and the door edges. Real teak shows continuous grain wrapping around the edge. Veneered particleboard shows a thin facing line and a different-coloured core underneath.
  • Solid hardwood chests, dressers and dining tables with dovetailed drawersTake one drawer right out and look at the front corner. Interlocking wedge-shaped fingers cut into the wood is a dovetail. Staples, or a dowel-and-glue butt joint, or a stapled-on plywood bottom, means it is not in this category.
  • Matched sets of four or more dining chairsCount them and check they genuinely match: same wood, same wear, same upholstery batch. Turn one over and look for a maker's stamp under the seat rail.
  • Real leather seating that is intactPress the seat with your thumb. Leather warms, creases into fine lines, and the grain varies across the hide. Vinyl and bonded leather stay cool, show a repeating embossed pattern, and peel or flake at the wear points.
  • Solid wood bed frames and headboardsLift one side rail. Solid hardwood rails are heavy and show end grain. Hollow metal or wrapped particleboard rails are not worth moving.
  • Oak filing cabinets, barrister bookcases, drafting tables and workbenchesWeight and fasteners. If it is heavy, held together with bolts or mortise-and-tenon joints rather than cam locks, and the drawers run on steel rather than plastic, it is in this category.

What this list turns away

Counted from what each place says on its own site, not from what is generally true. Most refusals are about condition and completeness rather than category.

  • 3 of 5 will not take anything damaged or stainedHabitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa ReStore, Helping With Furniture / Aidons avec des meubles, Matthew House Ottawa — Furniture Bank
  • 2 of 5 will not take large appliancesHelping With Furniture / Aidons avec des meubles, Matthew House Ottawa — Furniture Bank

Rarely worth anything

Not a rule, and not a reason to bin something without asking. These are the things people most often expect to be worth money and find are not.

  • Particleboard and MDF flat-pack, once it has been taken apart
  • Used mattresses and box springs
  • Sofa beds
  • Entertainment units and armoires built for tube televisions
  • Worn upholstered recliners and fabric sectionals
  • Futons and futon frames
  • Anything that smells
  • Desks and shelving with printed paper woodgrain surfaces
Cribs made before September 1986 should not be used, and non-compliant products cannot be sold or given away Canada (federal)

Health Canada states that cribs made before September 1986 should not be used and that they do not meet current safety regulations, giving slat spacing as an example. Its second-hand shopping guidance adds that cribs made before September 1986 are likely not to meet current regulatory requirements and should not be purchased. Combined with the rule below on giving away non-compliant products, this covers a garage sale, an online listing, a charity donation and passing it to family alike.

Read the rule →
Consumer product safety law covers used goods and free giveaways, not just retail sales Canada (federal)

Health Canada states that "Any person who sells, distributes, or gives away consumer products not complying with the current regulatory requirements is breaking the law in Canada", and that "The CCPSA and its regulations do not distinguish between new and used products." Second-hand status is not a defence, and neither is giving the item away rather than selling it.

Read the rule →
Mattresses must meet a cigarette combustion-resistance standard Canada (federal)

The Mattresses Regulations (SOR/2016-183) under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act require testing to CAN/CGSB-4.2 No. 27.7. The definition of mattress expressly excludes mattress pads, parts of upholstered furniture, and crib, cradle and bassinet mattresses. There is no equivalent general federal flammability standard for upholstered furniture in Canada - do not apply US state rules such as California's TB117 here.

Read the rule →

5 places in Ottawa that take furniture

Comptoir Saint-Vincent de Paul de Hull

Will collect, conditions apply
TakesNew and used clothing for babies, children and adults, Furniture, Mattresses, Refrigerators and stoves, Working electrical appliances
CollectionThe main option on the Quebec side, and one of the few places anywhere in the region that takes furniture, mattresses and large appliances together. Their trucks collect donated items in good condition in the Hull, Aylmer and Gatineau sectors — phone 819-776-1068 to arrange. No fee is stated for donation pickup; delivery of items you buy is offered at reasonable cost. Site is in French.
Where102 rue Eddy, Gatineau (secteur Hull), QC
Visit their site →819-776-1068

Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa ReStore

Will collect, conditions apply
TakesWooden, leather and upholstered furniture, Interior and exterior doors, and newer windows with thermal panes, Kitchen and bathroom cabinets and fixtures, New building materials, residential hardware, plumbing and electrical supplies, Large and small functioning household appliances, and dishwashers with stainless steel interiors, Newer working electronics (personal information removed), Working light fixtures (no fluorescents), Housewares, framed mirrors, tools and seasonal products, New flooring, minimum 80 sq. ft., and new tiles, minimum 50 sq. ft.
Won't takeMattresses and box springs, Clothing and toys from the public, Entertainment units, E-waste, Used toilets and used tubs, Shower doors, Used ceiling fans, Carpet and used flooring, Indoor window coverings, Unframed mirrors and glass, Flat doors, Building materials with nails or screws not removed, Paint from the public, Household hazardous waste, Anything dirty or damaged, with mould, rot or rust
CollectionPickup is offered free of charge, but their own form page says not all donations qualify and — read this before you plan around it — that pickup is CURRENTLY LIMITED TO KITCHENS AND LARGE APPLIANCES under restrictions the page still attributes to COVID-19. That notice may be stale, so call 613-749-9950 or email donation@habitatgo.com before assuming a sofa will be collected. Terms they do state: requests are answered in 24-48 hours, pickups generally need one to two weeks' notice, items must be ground level and accessible or have service elevator access, must be free of rips, stains, odours and pet hair, and the driver has final approval. Request form at https://habitatgo.com/restore/restore-pick-up-form/. They also advise calling before donating, since what they can take shifts with stock levels.
WhereHead office at 3 Iber Road, Unit 2, Stittsville; ReStore Train Yards at 768 Belfast Road (613-744-7769); ReStore City Centre at 250 City Centre Avenue #118 (613-366-1825). All three listed at https://habitatgo.com/restore/what-we-accept/
Visit their site →613-749-9950

Helping With Furniture / Aidons avec des meubles

TakesSofas and love seats under 7' wide, armchairs, end tables, coffee tables, lamps, Bed frames, dressers, mattresses (age and condition limits apply), Kitchen tables and dining chairs, Small appliances and kitchen items, Flatscreen TVs, Books and toys
Won't takeClothing, Oversized furniture, including large desks and entertainment units, Cribs and car seats, Large appliances such as stoves and refrigerators, Items with damage or missing parts
CollectionA service fee applies. Their booking page states plainly that a service fee will apply and that your address must fall inside the HWF designated pickup zone; you enter the address in the map search at https://www.hwfottawa.org/eng/request-a-pickup and, if it is in the zone, complete the request form. For addresses outside the zone they refer donors to an independent mover. Free drop-off during the two weekly windows is the cheaper route. The fee amount is not published — confirm when you book.
Where1455 Michael Street, Unit 3, Ottawa, ON
Visit their site →

Matthew House Ottawa — Furniture Bank

Not stated - ask them
TakesBeds in all sizes except king, dressers, mirrors, night tables, Couches, chairs, lamps, tables, dining chairs, Desks, TVs, computers, microwaves, Dishes, cookware and kitchen items, Bathroom textiles
Won't takeAnything over 4' wide x 2' deep x 6' high, Worn or damaged furniture, including rips, tears and stains, Mouldy items, Baby products, Major appliances, Books, Clothing, Bicycles
CollectionTheir donation page lists a separate pickup phone number, 1-613-423-2454, so a pickup route exists — but the site does not publish the price, the zones or the schedule anywhere I could reach, so call before you count on it. Drop-off is possible and must be arranged first: call 613-591-6681 ext. 2511 or email furnituredonations@matthewhouseottawa.org.
WhereUnit 1B, 700 Industrial Avenue, Ottawa, ON
Visit their site →613-591-6681 ext. 2511

Value Village

Drop off only
TakesClothing and shoes, Backpacks and purses, Bed and bath items, Books and media, Games and toys, Housewares, Small appliances, Small furniture, Electronics, Exercise and sporting goods
CollectionDrop-off only, at the Community Donation Centre attached to each store; no pickup service is mentioned. Value Village is a for-profit thrift retailer that pays a nonprofit partner for the goods you drop off, and the partner differs by location — the South Ottawa store at 1824 Bank St supports Diabetes Canada, per its own store page. Check the store page for the location nearest you before assuming which cause your donation funds.
WhereMultiple Ottawa stores; their own store locator at valuevillage.com gives each store's address, hours and nonprofit partner. The South Ottawa store (1824 Bank St, 613-526-5551) runs Mon-Sat 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. and Sun 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
A for-profit retailer, not a charity. It pays a nonprofit partner for donated goods — the partner differs by store, so ask at the door if that matters to you.
Visit their site →

Not sure what you have got?

Photograph it and we will tell you what it is and what it is worth — including when the honest answer is that it is worth nothing.

See what it's worth Everything in Ottawa →

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Furniture in other cities

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