How often should strata common areas be cleaned?
There is no legislated cleaning frequency, but there is a legislated duty to maintain — and a schedule is how owners corporations meet it without emergencies. Section 106 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) requires the owners corporation to properly maintain common property and keep it in a state of good and serviceable repair. The NSW Government also expects schemes to hold a 10-year capital works plan. Exterior cleaning is not itself mandated, but it is the cheapest way to stop the things that are mandated — render, roofing, drainage — from becoming repairs.
Key Takeaways
- The right interval varies a lot — typically anywhere from 1 to 5 years, depending on the property’s location and surface material.
- High-traffic common areas — building entrances, shared driveways, walkways — often need attention more frequently.
- Coastal, shaded or heavily-used buildings should lean toward the shorter end of the schedule.
- A consistent schedule is easier to budget for than reactive, as-needed cleaning.
Strata common areas take more foot traffic and general wear than a typical single residential property, which affects how often they need cleaning. Here’s a practical guide for owners corporations and strata managers.
What’s a Reasonable Baseline Schedule?
There’s no single number that fits every building — most strata common areas need a full exterior clean somewhere between 1 and 5 years, and the right interval depends heavily on the property’s location (coastal vs inland, exposed vs sheltered) and the surface material itself (porous vs sealed, render vs pavers). This keeps grime, algae and staining from building up to the point where it affects the building’s appearance or creates slip hazards.
Which Areas Need More Frequent Attention?
High-traffic zones — building entrances, shared driveways, lobbies and walkways — accumulate grime faster simply from higher foot and vehicle traffic. These areas often benefit from more frequent spot cleaning between full scheduled cleans, particularly in wetter months when slip risk increases.
Do Coastal or Shaded Buildings Need a Different Schedule?
Yes — buildings in coastal areas deal with salt air that accelerates grime and corrosion, while heavily shaded common areas hold moisture longer, encouraging algae and moss growth. If your building fits either profile, it’s worth scheduling toward the shorter end of that range, or adding a mid-cycle check.
Why Does a Scheduled Approach Work Better Than Reactive Cleaning?
Booking cleaning reactively — only once a problem is visible or a complaint comes in — tends to cost more in the long run, since buildup that’s been left longer takes more work to remove. A consistent schedule is also easier for an owners corporation to budget for as part of the building’s ongoing maintenance plan, rather than an unplanned expense.
How Can The Guys Group Help Schedule Your Building’s Cleaning?
We work with strata managers and owners corporations to set up a cleaning schedule that fits the building’s specific exposure, traffic and budget. Explore our strata property maintenance service, or get in touch to discuss a recurring schedule for your common areas.
A cleaning schedule sits inside a bigger legal duty. Section 106 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) requires the owners corporation to properly maintain common property and keep it in a state of good and serviceable repair, and the NSW Government also expects schemes to hold a 10-year capital works plan. Exterior cleaning is not itself mandated, but it is the cheapest way to stop the things that are from becoming repairs.
