This page is written for committee members and secretaries rather than for building managers — it is about the decision process, not the mop. What to scope, who approves it, when to time it, and what to put in front of owners.
Almost every scoping dispute in a strata scheme traces back to the same thing: nobody checked the registered plan before writing the specification. Balconies, courtyards, storage cages and some carpark bays are frequently lot property rather than common property, and a cleaning contract that quietly includes them is spending owners' money on private areas. Start with the plan and the by-laws, mark up what is genuinely common, and write the specification from that.
Then walk the building with that markup in hand and list each area by name — foyer, lift cars, lift lobbies per level, fire stairs, corridors per level, bin room, carpark, letterbox bank, pool deck, gym, garden paths, external walkways. Naming areas individually rather than writing “common areas” is what makes two quotes comparable later, and it is what lets a committee audit an invoice without a site visit.
Frequency is a committee decision, not a contractor's. It is driven by lot count, whether the building has a lift, whether there is a pool or gym, and how much of the foyer the street can see. A 30-lot walk-up usually sits comfortably at twice a week; a 120-lot tower with a lobby, two lifts and a gym generally needs five. Set the frequency yourselves, put it in the specification, and every quote you receive will be pricing the same job. For the room-by-room task detail behind each area, see our strata cleaning services page, and ask separately about pressure cleaning for carparks and hard surfaces, which is periodic work rather than part of the standing rate.
Check the scheme's spending limits and any delegation to the strata manager before assuming the committee can sign.
Time the decision to the budget cycle so the administrative fund levy carries the cost rather than a special levy.
Cost per lot per week, what changed in the scope, and why the cheapest quote was not chosen. Prepare all three.
A month-to-month term with 30 days notice means a committee is never locked in past the next AGM.
We will walk the building with your committee and draft the scope before quoting.
Start with the registered strata plan and the by-laws rather than with a walk-around. Balconies, courtyards, storage cages and some carpark bays are frequently lot property rather than common property, and a specification that quietly includes them spends owners money on private areas. Mark up the plan, then walk the building with that markup and list each common area by name — foyer, lift cars, lift lobbies per level, fire stairs, corridors, bin room, carpark, letterbox bank, pool deck, gym, garden paths. Naming areas individually is what makes competing quotes comparable.
It depends on the scheme. Owners corporations commonly place a spending limit on what a committee can approve without a general meeting, and some schemes delegate routine contracting to the strata manager entirely. Check the limit and any standing delegation before you start, because discovering halfway through that the decision needs a general meeting can cost a quarter. Where the value sits above the limit, put a single recommended option to the meeting rather than three, with the comparison attached.
Work backwards from the budget. A cleaning contract is an administrative fund expense, so the cleanest timing is to scope and quote in the months before the budget is set, adopt the figure into the budget, and start the contract at the beginning of the levy period. Deciding mid-cycle usually means either absorbing the difference from another line or raising a special levy, and owners react far better to a planned line item than to an unplanned one.
Give every bidder the same written specification, with the same area list and the same frequency, and ask them all to price into that. Then compare four things beyond the number: whether the cleaners are directly employed or subcontracted, the public liability level, the notice period and any lock-in, and what periodic work such as pressure cleaning or window cleaning is included versus separately priced. A cheaper quote against a shorter scope is not a saving, and that is the comparison owners will ask about at the meeting.
Three numbers and one sentence. The cost per lot per week, which is the figure owners actually feel. What changed in the scope compared with the previous arrangement. Why the cheapest quote was not selected, if it was not. And one sentence on the exit terms, because the most common owner objection to any contract is a fear of being locked in. A month-to-month arrangement with 30 days notice answers that objection before it is raised.
Lot count, whether there is a lift, and whether there is a pool or gym drive it more than floor area. A 30-lot walk-up usually sits comfortably at twice a week. A 120-lot tower with a lobby, two lifts and a gym generally needs five visits a week, plus attention to the bin room more often than the rest. Set the frequency in the specification yourselves rather than asking contractors to propose one, or you will receive quotes that are not comparable.
Every cleaner is directly employed, holds a current National Police Clearance, and is covered by $20 million public liability insurance and NSW workers compensation. For committee records we provide certificates of currency, the written scope of work, documented completion records per visit, and supervisor reports at an agreed interval — the documentation set most Sydney strata managers ask for before recommending a contractor to a committee.
We provide body corporate cleaning services across all major Sydney districts including Sydney CBD, Parramatta and North Sydney. Many strata schemes pair their common-area program with building window cleaning and car park cleaning for a complete maintenance package.
Contact Pro Clean Corp today for professional body corporate cleaning services.