What's Included in a Strata Exterior Maintenance Programme?

Strata managers and owners corporations increasingly move away from ad hoc cleaning requests toward structured maintenance programmes — and for good reason. A programme approach gives better results, more predictable costs, and far less administrative work than raising individual jobs each time.

Here's what a professional strata exterior maintenance programme typically covers, and what to expect from a good contractor.

What a Programme Covers

A strata exterior maintenance programme is a scheduled agreement that defines which areas are cleaned, at what frequency, and to what standard. A complete programme for an apartment complex or strata property typically includes:

• Building facade washing — removing mould, algae, dirt, and environmental staining from exterior walls and rendered surfaces
• Common area pathways and courtyards — pressure cleaning of all shared walking surfaces
• Entry areas and lobbies — cleaning of building entries, foyers, and surrounding paths
• Stairwells and breezeways — shared internal and semi-external circulation areas
• Car parks and driveways — removal of oil, rubber, and surface staining
• Bin enclosures and bin pads — cleaning and deodorising of waste areas, usually on a more frequent cycle than the rest of the property
• Pool surrounds and courtyards — surface cleaning and slip hazard treatment where applicable
• Graffiti removal — included in some programmes as a reactive service

How Frequency Is Structured

Most strata maintenance programmes combine different frequencies for different areas. A typical arrangement might be:

• Full building and common area clean — twice per year
• Entry and high-traffic pathway cleaning — quarterly
• Bin pad and waste enclosure cleaning — monthly or bimonthly

The right structure depends on the size of the property, tenant density, tree cover, surface materials, and how much traffic each area receives. A contractor worth engaging will assess these factors before recommending a schedule — not simply offer one-size-fits-all packages.

Documentation and Reporting

A professional maintenance programme should include written documentation at every service. This means before and after photos, a record of areas completed, any observations about surface condition or damage noted during the clean, and a service summary that can be filed for body corporate records or presented at AGMs.

This documentation is particularly useful for strata managers responding to owner enquiries, tracking property condition over time, and demonstrating that maintenance obligations are being met.

Compliance Documentation

For strata properties, particularly those in NSW, your cleaning contractor should be able to provide on request:

• Public liability insurance certificate of currency
• Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) for works on the property
• Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for any chemicals used
• Workers compensation documentation where applicable

These documents are often required before works can be approved by an owners corporation or body corporate, and a professional contractor should have them ready without delay.

The Difference Between a Programme and Ad Hoc Cleaning

Ad hoc cleaning — booking a clean when things get visibly bad — costs more in the long run. Surfaces that are allowed to build up heavily require more time, stronger treatments, and sometimes specialist intervention to restore. Regular scheduled cleaning keeps surfaces in a manageable condition, extends their life, and reduces the risk of slip hazards, complaints, and emergency cleans before inspections.

A maintenance programme also removes the administrative burden of raising individual jobs. One agreement covers the property for the year, with services delivered on schedule without follow-up required from the strata manager.