TL;DR :
Strata cleaning covers all common property in a residential or commercial building, lobbies, lifts, stairwells, bin rooms, car parks, and shared outdoor areas. Under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 NSW, the owners corporation is legally responsible for maintaining common property to a reasonable standard. In Western Sydney buildings, most owners corporations schedule professional cleaning 3 to 5 times per week depending on building size. Mercy Property Care provides written records after every visit and covers Parramatta, Blacktown, Penrith, and Castle Hill.
If you manage a strata building in Sydney and you are heading into your AGM, one of the questions that comes up almost every year is this: what exactly is the cleaner supposed to be doing, and are we paying for the right scope? It is a fair question, and the answer depends on your building type, your scheme rules, and what the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 NSW actually requires of your owners corporation. This guide covers the basics in plain language so you can walk into that meeting knowing what to ask.
What areas does strata cleaning actually cover?
Strata cleaning covers all common property, the areas that belong to the owners corporation rather than individual lot owners. That includes every space a resident or visitor passes through that is not inside a private apartment or tenancy.
In a typical Sydney residential building, that means:
- Entry lobbies and reception areas
- Lift interiors, buttons, handrails, and door tracks
- All stairwells and fire escape landings
- Car park floors, columns, and painted line areas
- Bin rooms and waste compactor surrounds
- Mail and parcel areas
- Garden edges and paths adjacent to common entrances
- Pool surrounds, gym common areas, and shared BBQ zones (where applicable)
- External signage, letter boxes, and intercom panels
Commercial strata buildings add loading dock areas, shared bathroom facilities, fire stair corridors between tenancies, and sometimes roof access points depending on the scheme.
The one thing strata cleaning does not cover is anything inside a private lot. That boundary matters because it affects both the scope of work and who pays for it.
How often should strata common areas be professionally cleaned?
There is no single legal frequency set out in the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 NSW, but owners corporations do have an obligation to keep common property in a reasonable state of repair and cleanliness. In practice, most Sydney building managers translate that into a cleaning schedule based on building size and resident numbers.
| Building Type | Standard Frequency | October to February (Summer) |
| Small block (under 20 lots) | 2x per week | 3x per week |
| Medium residential (20–60 lots) | 3x per week | 4–5x per week |
| Large residential (60+ lots) | 5x per week | Daily |
| Commercial strata | Daily | Daily + mid-week bin room focus |
| Mixed use (retail + residential) | Daily | Daily + entry mat replacement |
Summer foot traffic in Western Sydney buildings increases significantly from October through February. More people using the lift, more dust brought in through lobbies, and bin rooms filling faster all push towards a higher cleaning frequency than what might work in winter. If your current contract was written in June, it is worth reviewing it before December.
Who is legally responsible for strata cleaning in NSW?
The owners corporation is responsible. Under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 NSW, the owners corporation must properly maintain and keep in good repair the common property of the strata scheme. Cleanliness of shared areas falls squarely within that obligation.
The strata manager, if the scheme has appointed one, coordinates that responsibility on behalf of the owners corporation, but the legal duty stays with the owners corporation itself. Individual lot owners are not responsible for cleaning common areas unless the scheme’s by-laws specifically assign a shared area to a particular lot.
What this means practically: if a resident makes a complaint to NSW Fair Trading about unclean common property and you cannot produce cleaning records showing the work was done, you are exposed. That is why a written post-service record from your cleaner matters more than most strata managers realise.
What should a strata cleaning checklist actually include?
A professional strata clean covers more than a quick vacuum of the lobby carpet. Here is what should be completed on every scheduled visit and what gets added in the summer months.
Every visit:
- Lobby floors swept and mopped with TGA-listed disinfectant
- Lift interior mopped, mirrored surfaces wiped, buttons and handrails sanitised
- All stairwells swept and spot mopped
- Bin room hosed or swept and odour-treated
- High-touch surfaces hit: door handles, intercom buttons, letterbox areas
- Car park entrance swept
Added from October to February:
- HVAC vent covers in common corridors dusted (relevant under AS/NZS 3666, the standard covering biological contamination in air handling systems)
- Entry mats deep-cleaned or replaced more frequently
- Lift door tracks cleared of summer dust and grit build-up
- Garden-adjacent lobby areas swept more frequently due to increased foot traffic
Mercy Property Care provides a written post-service record after every visit confirming what was cleaned, what products were used, and anything flagged for follow-up. For strata managers preparing for levy disputes, insurance claims, or NSW Fair Trading complaints, that documentation can be genuinely useful.
What should I look for when hiring a strata cleaning company in Sydney?
The basics are non-negotiable: the cleaner should carry at least $20M public liability insurance, use police-checked staff, and provide written records after every visit. Most strata managers are surprised how many operators do not do all three.
Beyond that, worth asking:
- Do they adjust their scope and frequency for summer without needing to be asked?
- Can they service the full building, lobby, car park, bin room, pool surround, or just the internal corridors?
- Do they use TGA-listed disinfectants on shared touch points, or general-purpose cleaning products?
- Are they familiar with the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 NSW and what “reasonable maintenance” actually means for common property?
If you are in Parramatta, Blacktown, Penrith, Castle Hill, or anywhere across Western Sydney, you can see exactly what a professional strata cleaning service in Sydney covers, get an honest picture of commercial cleaning costs for strata buildings, or book a free site assessment for your building before your next AGM.
FAQ
Q: What is included in a strata clean in Sydney?
A: A professional strata clean covers all common property areas: lobbies, lifts, stairwells, bin rooms, car parks, mail areas, and shared outdoor spaces. It does not include anything inside a private lot. Under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 NSW, the owners corporation is responsible for keeping all common property in a clean and reasonable condition. A proper strata cleaner will provide written records after every visit confirming what was done.
Q: How often should a strata building be professionally cleaned?
A: It depends on building size and foot traffic. A small block under 20 lots can typically manage with 2 to 3 professional cleans per week. A large residential building with 60 or more lots usually needs daily cleaning. During Sydney’s summer months from October through February, most buildings should increase their frequency by at least one additional visit per week to manage the higher foot traffic and dust brought into lobbies and stairwells.
Q: Who pays for strata cleaning, the owners corporation or individual owners?
A: The owners corporation pays for strata cleaning from the administrative fund, which is funded by lot owner levies. Individual lot owners are not separately invoiced for common area cleaning. The strata manager typically organises and pays the cleaner on behalf of the owners corporation. If your levies are covering cleaning costs but the work is not being documented, ask your strata manager for written service records.
Q: Does Mercy Property Care handle strata cleaning across Western Sydney?
A: Yes. Mercy Property Care provides strata cleaning services across Parramatta, Blacktown, Penrith, Castle Hill, Seven Hills, and surrounding Western Sydney suburbs. Every clean includes a written post-service record, police-checked staff, TGA-listed disinfectants, and $20M public liability insurance. You can book a free building assessment before committing to a contract.
Getting strata cleaning right is mostly about knowing what the scope should be, making sure it is documented, and working with someone who understands both the building type and the legal obligations that sit behind it. If your AGM is coming up or your current contract is due for review, speaking with Mercy Property Care before you sign anything is a good starting point. Book a free site assessment here and get a proper recommendation for your building before summer arrives.
Written by Mercy Property Care, Strata and Commercial Cleaning Specialists, Western Sydney
