Strata Cleaning in Metro Vancouver: A Guide for Strata Councils

Strata cleaning covers the shared spaces of a condo, townhouse complex, or multi-unit building: hallways, lobbies, elevators, stairwells, parkades, and amenity rooms, rather than the inside of any individual unit.

What Does Strata Cleaning Actually Cover?

Strata cleaning covers the shared spaces of a condo, townhouse complex, or multi-unit building, hallways, lobbies, elevators, stairwells, parkades, and amenity rooms, rather than the inside of any individual unit. Under Section 72 of the BC Strata Property Act, strata corporations are required to repair and maintain common property, which includes keeping shared spaces in a reasonable state of appearance. Regular professional cleaning is one of the more straightforward ways a council meets that obligation without relying on informal, resident-driven upkeep.

What’s Included in a Typical Strata Cleaning Contract?

The scope of a typical strata cleaning contract includes vacuuming and mopping shared floors, wiping down handrails and elevator panels, cleaning glass entry doors and interior common-area windows, emptying shared waste and recycling bins, and sanitizing high-touch surfaces like door handles and intercom panels. Larger buildings with amenity rooms, gyms, or party spaces typically add these to the regular rotation, along with periodic deeper tasks like hallway carpet cleaning or pressure washing entryways.

How Often Should Common Areas Be Cleaned?

Cleaning frequency generally scales with building size and traffic. High-rise buildings with 100 or more units often need service several times a week, particularly for elevators and lobbies. Mid-size buildings in the 30 to 80 unit range commonly do well with weekly service, while smaller complexes of 10 to 30 units can often maintain a reasonable standard with biweekly visits. High-touch surfaces, regardless of building size, are worth sanitizing on the more frequent end of whatever schedule a council settles on.

What Separates a Strata Cleaning Company from a Generic Janitorial Contractor?

What separates a strata cleaning company built for this kind of work from a general janitorial contractor is accountability to the council itself rather than to whichever resident happens to raise a complaint first. That distinction shows up in a few concrete ways: a consistent crew that gets familiar with the building’s specific layout and problem areas over time, commercial liability insurance that reflects work in shared, higher-traffic spaces, and WorkSafeBC coverage that protects both the cleaning staff and the building.

Why Does Documentation Matter for Strata Councils?

Documentation matters more for strata cleaning than for most residential work, since councils are accountable to owners at AGMs and through council minutes. A cleaning provider that supplies a service report after each visit, ideally with photos, gives a council something concrete to point to if a resident raises a complaint or if the maintenance record ever needs to be reviewed. This kind of documentation also tends to make budget renewal conversations easier, since the council can show exactly what’s been done rather than relying on general assurances.

How Is Strata Cleaning Priced?

Pricing for strata cleaning is typically structured as a recurring contract rather than a one-time flat rate, based on building size, common area scope, and visit frequency. Councils comparing quotes should ask for a breakdown by task and frequency rather than accepting a single bundled monthly number, since this is the only way to see clearly what’s included at each visit versus what would be billed separately as an add-on, like periodic carpet cleaning or pressure washing.

When Should a Council Review Its Cleaning Contract?

Council turnover is one of the more common reasons buildings end up switching cleaning providers, since a newly elected council sometimes inherits a contract that hasn’t been reviewed in years. It’s a reasonable practice to revisit the current cleaning arrangement periodically regardless of satisfaction level, simply to confirm the scope still matches the building’s actual needs, particularly if resident count, amenities, or common area usage have changed since the contract was originally signed.

What Should Councils Ask Before Signing?

For councils comparing cleaning companies, the questions worth asking directly are: insurance coverage amount, background-checked staff, a written checklist by area, documentation after each visit, and a single point of contact who’s accountable if something gets missed. A company that answers all of this with specifics, rather than general reassurance, is usually one worth trialing on a shorter initial contract before committing to a full year. See our strata building and caretaker cleaning services for what we cover.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is strata cleaning typically priced?

Most strata cleaning runs as a recurring contract, monthly or per visit, priced by building size, common area scope, and frequency, rather than a one-time flat rate like residential cleaning.

Who is liable if something is damaged in a common area during cleaning?

A properly insured strata cleaning company carries commercial liability coverage specifically for shared-space work. Ask for the coverage amount and a certificate of insurance before signing a contract.

Does strata cleaning satisfy our legal maintenance obligations under the Strata Property Act?

Regular, documented cleaning of common property supports a council’s obligation under Section 72 to maintain shared spaces in a reasonable state. Documentation from each visit helps demonstrate this if the maintenance record is ever questioned.

Can strata cleaning include periodic tasks like window washing or pressure washing?

Yes, though these are often billed as scheduled add-ons rather than included in the base weekly or biweekly visit. Confirm whether periodic tasks are built into the contract or priced separately.

How do we switch strata cleaning providers if we’re unhappy with the current one?

Check your current contract’s notice period first, then request quotes from alternative providers covering the same scope and frequency so you’re comparing options fairly before making a change.

Related Cleaning Guides

• Strata Building and Caretaker Cleaning Services
• How to Choose the Right Cleaning Service in Vancouver
• How Much Does House Cleaning Cost in Vancouver? (2026 Flat-Rate Price Guide)