What to Check Before Hiring a Strata Cleaning Contractor Sydney
If you manage or own property in a strata scheme, you already know how much the condition of shared spaces affects everyone — from resale values to resident satisfaction and strata levy disputes. Knowing what to check before hiring a strata cleaning contractor in Sydney can save your owners corporation from costly mistakes, liability headaches and work that simply doesn't last. This guide walks you through the five things that actually matter before you hand over a contract.
Does the Contractor Understand Strata-Specific Requirements?
Strata cleaning is not the same as washing a residential driveway or scrubbing a commercial warehouse floor. Shared property involves multiple stakeholders — owners, tenants, a strata manager, and often a building manager — and a contractor needs to understand how to work within that environment without causing disruption or damage.
Ask the contractor directly whether they've worked on strata schemes before and what types. A company that regularly cleans common areas, car parks, lobby entries, bin enclosures and external facades will approach the job very differently to one that handles only residential house washing. They should be comfortable liaising with strata managers, working around resident schedules and understanding that access to certain areas may require advance notice or committee approval.
Also confirm whether they have experience with the specific surfaces your building has. Older Sydney brick buildings, tiled podiums, exposed aggregate driveways and painted concrete all respond differently to pressure and chemical treatments. The wrong approach on heritage-style brickwork or soft sandstone, for example, can cause permanent surface damage that no amount of cleaning will fix afterwards.
What Licences and Insurance Should You Ask For?
This is non-negotiable. Before any contractor steps foot on common property, you need to sight current proof of the following:
Public liability insurance — At a minimum, strata managers and owners corporations in New South Wales typically require contractors to carry $20 million in public liability coverage. [VERIFY: confirm current minimum required by most NSW strata managers and whether this aligns with your specific scheme's by-laws before publishing.] A contractor carrying only $5 million may not meet your scheme's requirements and could leave the owners corporation exposed if something goes wrong.
Workers compensation insurance — If the contractor has employees, they are legally required to hold workers compensation cover in NSW. If a worker is injured on your property without it, the consequences can be significant.
Business registration — Confirm they are operating as a registered business, not as a cash-in-hand sole trader with no traceable business identity.
Request certificates of currency directly from the insurer — not just a screenshot or a policy number. Certificates can be backdated or fabricated; a current certificate of currency confirms the policy is active right now.
How Do You Evaluate Their Scope of Work and Quoting Process?
A detailed written quote is one of the clearest signals that you're dealing with a professional operation. Be cautious of any contractor who provides only a verbal estimate or a single-line quote with no breakdown. A proper scope of works for strata cleaning should specify:
Which areas are included — driveways, car parks, pathways, bin rooms, lobby entries, external walls, pool surrounds, and so on
The cleaning method for each surface — pressure washing, soft washing, acid cleaning, steam cleaning or a combination
Any chemicals or treatments to be applied, including whether sealants are included or quoted separately
The frequency of service if ongoing, or the expected completion timeline for a one-off job
How wastewater will be managed — this matters for environmental compliance
Sydney Water and the NSW Environment Protection Authority have clear rules around wastewater discharge from pressure cleaning. A reputable contractor will know how to contain and manage runoff from chemical washes, particularly on sealed surfaces near stormwater drains. If a contractor can't answer this question, that's a problem.
What Does Their Track Record Actually Look Like?
References and reviews matter, but how you evaluate them matters more. Online reviews give you a general sense of reliability and customer service, but for strata work specifically, ask whether they can provide references from strata managers or owners corporations they've worked with — not just homeowners.
Look for consistency in their reviews rather than just the star rating. Do clients mention that the crew was professional and punctual? That the results lasted? That they handled issues without being chased? These details tell you more than a generic five-star comment ever could.
Ask to see before-and-after photos of comparable jobs — strata car parks, common area paving, rendered or brick external walls. A contractor doing solid work will have these readily available. If they can't produce a single example of previous strata work, it's worth asking why.
Are There Any Contract or Ongoing Service Terms to Watch Out For?
If you're engaging a contractor for recurring strata cleaning rather than a one-off job, read the service agreement carefully before the owners corporation approves it. Watch for:
Automatic renewal clauses — Some contracts roll over annually without requiring a new vote or approval from the committee
Locked-in pricing with no CPI adjustment clause — or conversely, vague pricing that allows the contractor to increase fees without notice
Cancellation terms — Understand how much notice is required to exit the agreement and whether there are any penalties
Scope creep provisions — Confirm whether additional work discovered on the day will be quoted separately or added to the invoice without authorisation
For strata schemes in NSW, any contract that commits the owners corporation to expenditure above the threshold set under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 may require approval at a general meeting. [VERIFY: confirm the current legislative threshold for works requiring general meeting approval under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 before publishing.] Your strata manager should advise on this before you sign.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should a strata complex in Sydney have its common areas professionally cleaned?
It depends on the size, usage and type of surfaces involved, but most strata complexes benefit from professional cleaning at least once or twice a year. High-traffic areas like car parks, bin enclosures and lobby entries may need quarterly attention, while external building facades and driveways can often be maintained on an annual schedule. Your contractor should be able to recommend a frequency based on an on-site assessment.
Can pressure cleaning damage certain surfaces in a strata building?
Yes — incorrect pressure settings or the wrong chemical treatments can damage soft sandstone, older rendered walls, painted surfaces and some types of paving. A qualified contractor will assess each surface before selecting the appropriate method, which may be low-pressure soft washing rather than high-pressure blasting for sensitive materials. Always ask how they plan to treat each specific surface before work begins.
Who is responsible for approving a strata cleaning contractor — the strata manager or the owners corporation?
In most NSW strata schemes, the strata committee has delegated authority to approve routine maintenance contracts up to a certain spend threshold, after which a general meeting vote is required. The strata manager typically coordinates the process but does not have authority to approve expenditure on the owners corporation's behalf. Check your scheme's by-laws and the relevant thresholds under NSW strata legislation before proceeding.
What's the difference between acid cleaning and standard pressure washing for brick and concrete?
Standard pressure washing uses high-pressure water to remove surface-level dirt, algae, mould and grime. Acid cleaning uses a diluted acid solution — typically hydrochloric acid — to remove deeper staining, mineral deposits, efflorescence and construction residue from masonry and concrete surfaces. Acid cleaning requires specialist handling and neutralisation procedures, so it should only be carried out by experienced contractors with the appropriate safety equipment and training.
Should the strata cleaning contractor be the same company that seals the driveways and pavers?
It's not a requirement, but using the same contractor for both cleaning and sealing often produces better results — they understand the surface condition after cleaning and can time the sealing correctly once the substrate has fully dried. It also simplifies accountability if issues arise later. If you do use separate contractors, make sure the cleaning company provides written confirmation that the surface is ready for sealing before the second contractor begins.
If your strata complex is due for a clean and you'd like to work with a team that understands the specific demands of shared property in Sydney, The Pressure Cleaning Co provides professional strata cleaning services across the Sydney metro area. Get in touch for a site assessment and a detailed written quote tailored to your building's needs.
