Search “strata cleaning Brisbane” and you’ll find plenty of companies promising spotless common areas. Telling them apart is harder. The best provider for your building is one that does the work properly, proves it, treats its people fairly and fixes problems fast. These twelve questions will help your committee find it.
1. Do you specialise in strata?
Strata buildings have committees, managers, residents and by-laws. Ask how much of the company’s work is strata, and for examples of similar buildings. See strata vs commercial cleaning for why it matters.
2. Will you visit before you quote?
A quote prepared without seeing the building is a guess. Expect a site visit, a walk-through of problem areas and a written scope. We follow a simple three-step process: we come to you, we quote for you, we present a written quotation.
3. What exactly is included?
Ask for a written scope listing every area, task and frequency, and the standard each area will be cleaned to. Our cleaning checklist is a good benchmark.
4. How will we know the cleaning happened?
Look for photos, a completed checklist and a sign-off for every visit — accessible to the committee without having to ask. Our client portal provides this automatically.
5. Who are your cleaners, and how are they paid?
Ask whether cleaners are employees or subcontractors, whether they’re paid at least the Cleaning Services Award, and how the company prevents sham contracting and underpayment. Read our explainer on the Cleaning Accountability Framework.
6. Are you insured?
Ask for certificates of currency for public liability and workers’ compensation. Check the dates and the insured entity name.
7. How do you manage safety?
Ask for safe work method statements, chemical safety data sheets, how cleaners are inducted to your site, and how hazards are reported. Our guide to WHS for committees engaging cleaners covers what to look for.
8. Who supervises, and how often?
Who checks quality, how often, and who is your single point of contact? Ask how quickly complaints are acknowledged and resolved.
9. What happens when your cleaner is sick or on leave?
Consistency matters, but so does cover. Ask how absences are handled and how relief cleaners are inducted.
10. Can you respond to emergencies?
Spills, broken glass and vandalism happen. Ask whether the provider offers a rapid response and how fast.
11. What are the contract terms?
Check the term, notice period, price review mechanism, and how variations are approved. Avoid long lock-ins with automatic price increases you can’t see. Make sure the contract fits the limits of your regulation module.
12. Who else do you work with?
Ask for references from committees or managers of similar buildings, and call them. Ask what happens when something goes wrong — every provider has bad days; what matters is the response.
Red flags
- A price far below other quotes with no explanation
- No site visit, or a quote based only on lot numbers
- No written scope
- Vague answers about who the cleaners are
- No reporting, or reporting only “on request”
- Reluctance to provide insurance certificates
What “best” really means
The best strata cleaner for a 200-lot riverfront tower may not be the best for a 10-lot block in Annerley. “Best” means the right fit for your building: the right size of team, the right reporting for your committee, the right price for your budget and a provider that’s responsive when you need it. Use the questions above to test fit, not just reputation.
Look beyond reviews
Online reviews can help, but most strata cleaning happens out of sight, and the people who notice it, residents, rarely write reviews. References from committees and managers of similar buildings, and a look at the provider’s actual reports, tell you much more about day-to-day performance.
Trial the relationship
The site visit is a good test. Did the provider turn up on time? Did they ask about problem areas and resident complaints? Did they notice things you hadn’t mentioned? Was the written quotation clear and on time? How a provider handles the quoting process is a strong indicator of how they’ll handle your building.
Why committees choose Strata Cleaning Co.
We’re a Brisbane strata specialist, cleaning buildings managed by many of South-East Queensland’s strata and body corporate managers — and we’re 100% independent of them, with no commissions, referral fees or kickbacks. Every visit is photo-verified and reported, our cleaners are inducted and properly paid, and, for eligible customers, our Brisbane rapid response team keeps buildings safe between visits.
Book a free site visit and put us to the test with these twelve questions.
By Strata Cleaning Co. · 25 August 2026