Strata Common Area Cleaning

We clean strata common areas every single day across Sydney, and we can tell you that the condition of these shared spaces defines a building’s reputation more than any other factor. Our team maintains lobbies, corridors, stairwells, lifts, amenity rooms, and outdoor areas in buildings ranging from 12-lot complexes in Newtown to 300-unit towers in Parramatta. Every building is different, but the fundamental principle stays the same — residents judge their entire living experience by what they see in the common areas. Our strata cleaners has built detailed maintenance programs for each type of space to confirm nothing gets missed and every dollar of the owners corporation’s budget delivers visible results.

Lobby and Entrance Maintenance That Sets the Standard

Lobby and Entrance Maintenance That Sets the Standard covers specific protocols that we tailor to each facility based on its layout, traffic, and compliance requirements. We treat the lobby as the building’s first impression because that is exactly what it is. Our lobby cleaning protocol runs daily in most buildings and covers floor mopping or scrubbing, glass entrance cleaning, reception desk sanitisation, mail room tidying, and light fitting dusting on a rotating weekly cycle. For a typical 60-lot building in the CBD, lobby maintenance accounts for roughly 30 percent of our total cleaning hours — and we believe every hour is justified by the impact on property presentation.

Surface-specific methods matter enormously in lobbies. We follow AS 3733 for textile floor maintenance where carpet is present, and manufacturer specifications for stone, tile, and engineered surfaces. Our Chatswood team services a building with Calacatta marble lobby floors that require pH-neutral cleaners applied with microfibre mops — absolutely no acidic products, no abrasive pads, no string mops that trap grit. The previous contractor had been using a general-purpose floor cleaner that etched the marble surface, and remediation polishing cost the owners corporation $7,500. We prevented any recurrence by documenting the correct product and method in our building-specific maintenance plan.

Corridor and Stairwell Protocols

We clean corridors and stairwells on a tiered frequency based on traffic volume. Ground-floor and basement corridors get daily attention because they carry the highest foot traffic. Upper-level corridors typically run twice weekly, and fire stairwells get weekly cleaning with a monthly deep clean. Our team uses backpack vacuums with HEPA filtration for carpeted corridors — these units are quieter than upright vacuums, which matters in residential buildings where we often work early morning before residents leave for work.

Stairwell cleaning is one area where we have seen the biggest improvement after taking over from underperforming contractors. Handrails accumulate bacteria rapidly — studies show up to 4,000 CFU per square centimetre on high-traffic handrails. Our protocol includes daily sanitisation of all handrails using hospital-grade disinfectant wipes, with particular attention to landings and entry points. A Bankstown building we took over had stairwell walls with visible scuff marks and cobwebs that the previous contractor simply ignored — our crew addressed the backlog in a single deep-cleaning session and implemented a monthly wall-washing cycle that keeps the issue permanently resolved.

Strata Common Area Maintenance Schedule

Lift Car Cleaning and Presentation

Strata Common Area Maintenance Schedule requires specific protocols that we tailor to each facility based on its layout, traffic, and compliance requirements. We pay particular attention to lift cars because residents spend time in them every day, and the confined space makes any dirt, odour, or damage immediately noticeable. Our lift cleaning protocol covers stainless steel panel wiping in the direction of the grain, floor mopping or vacuuming, button panel sanitisation, mirror cleaning, and ceiling vent dusting. We service lift cars daily in buildings with more than 50 lots and every second day in smaller buildings. The cost for daily lift maintenance typically runs $120 to $200 per month per lift — a small investment for the most-used common area in any multi-storey building.

Lift Car Cleaning and Presentation includes specific protocols that we tailor to each facility based on its layout, traffic, and compliance requirements. We have learned to treat stainless steel with particular care. Circular wiping motions create visible scratching under the fluorescent lighting common in lift cars, so we train every team member to wipe along the grain using a pH-neutral stainless steel cleaner and a clean microfibre cloth. Our Eastwood team documented a case where incorrect cleaning technique had caused micro-scratching across all four lift cars in a 90-lot building — the strata committee was considering $12,000 in panel replacement before we demonstrated that our polishing treatment could restore 80 percent of the original finish at a fraction of the cost.

Amenity Space and Gym Cleaning

Amenity Space and Gym Cleaning addresses specific protocols that we tailor to each facility based on its layout, traffic, and compliance requirements. We service gyms, pools, BBQ areas, function rooms, and rooftop terraces as part of our strata common area programs. Each amenity space has its own hygiene and safety requirements. Gyms need daily sanitisation of all equipment surfaces, following AS/NZS 4187 guidelines for surface decontamination in shared-use environments. Pool surrounds require slip-resistance management under AS 4586, with particular attention to tile joints where algae growth creates hazardous conditions during wet weather.

Our Surry Hills team manages a building with a rooftop terrace, BBQ pavilion, and 25-metre lap pool — the amenity cleaning alone accounts for eight hours per week and costs the owners corporation approximately $1,600 per month. We provide itemised reporting that breaks down time spent on each amenity space, so the strata committee can see exactly where their budget goes. This transparency has helped us retain contracts even when lower-priced competitors submit bids, because committees can see the level of service they would be losing.

Outdoor Common Areas and Garden Paths

We maintain outdoor common areas including garden paths, driveways, bin enclosures, car park entries, and external walkways. Pressure washing runs on a quarterly cycle for most surfaces, with monthly attention to high-traffic paths and driveway entries. Our containment protocols comply with the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 — we bund all drain points and vacuum-recover wash water to prevent stormwater contamination.

Our Homebush team services a building with extensive landscaped gardens and paved pathways where leaf litter and organic debris accumulate rapidly in autumn. We adjusted their schedule to include twice-weekly path sweeping during March through May, which prevented the slippery organic film that had caused two resident slip incidents the previous year. The owners corporation estimated that preventing those incidents saved them at least $20,000 in potential liability exposure based on previous claim settlements in the Liverpool and Cabramatta areas.

For guidance on maintaining your building’s garden and landscape areas, explore our resource on landscaping guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What areas are considered common property requiring cleaning under strata legislation?

Common property includes all areas not contained within individual lot boundaries, encompassing lobbies, corridors, stairwells, lifts, car parks, bin rooms, gardens, pools, gymnasiums, recreational facilities, and all external areas. The strata by-laws and registered strata plan define precise boundaries between common property and individual lots.

How often should strata common areas be cleaned?

Daily cleaning is appropriate for high-traffic areas including lobbies, lift cabins, and frequently used corridors. Twice-weekly cleaning suits general corridors and amenity areas, whilst weekly or fortnightly cleaning applies to car parks, bin rooms, and external areas. Specific frequencies should be documented in the cleaning contract.

What health and safety compliance requirements apply to strata cleaning?

Strata cleaning must comply with Work Health and Safety Regulations, Building Code of Australia requirements, Australian Standard AS 4586 slip resistance standards, and NSW Health regulations for facilities like pools and spas. Chemical handling, working at heights, and electrical safety around water are key compliance areas.

How does common area cleaning impact property values?

Well-maintained common areas create positive first impressions, reduce resident complaints, demonstrate compliance with strata legislation, and slow deterioration of building finishes. Properties with excellent common area presentation consistently achieve higher sale prices and attract premium tenants compared to properties with neglected common areas.

What should I expect from a professional strata cleaning contractor?

Professional contractors provide detailed cleaning specifications, regular quality audits, monthly reporting to strata committees, appropriate insurance coverage, WHS compliance documentation, and responsive communication regarding maintenance issues identified during cleaning activities.

About Clean Group

Clean Group is a Sydney-based commercial cleaning company with over 25 years of industry experience. Founded by Suji Siv, our team of 50+ trained professionals services offices, warehouses, medical centres, schools, childcare facilities, retail stores, gyms, and strata properties across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

We are active members of ISSA and the Building Service Contractors Association of Australia (BSCAA). Our operations align with ISO 9001 (Quality Management), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management), and ISO 45001 (Workplace Health and Safety) standards. We hold membership with the Green Building Council of Australia and use eco-friendly, TGA-registered cleaning products wherever possible.

Every Clean Group cleaner is police-checked, fully insured, and trained in safe work procedures under SafeWork NSW guidelines. We operate 7 days a week, including after-hours and weekend services, to minimise disruption to your business.