Moving day is exciting for the resident and stressful for the building. Furniture scrapes lift walls, trolleys gouge corridor corners, boxes block the foyer and the bin room fills with packaging. In buildings with high tenant turnover — or holiday letting — moves happen every week. A clear process protects common property and keeps everyone on side.
Before the move
Booking
Many buildings require moves to be booked with the building manager, caretaker or body corporate manager. This lets the building:
- reserve a lift and fit protection
- avoid two moves at once
- schedule moves within by-law hours
Lift protection
Protective blankets or pads hung inside the lift car protect walls and doors. They should be fitted before the move and removed afterwards. In buildings without a manager on site, the cleaner can fit and remove them on agreed days.
Information for movers
Give residents and removalists a short sheet covering: approved hours, where to park, the move route, lift booking, and rules for packaging and bulk waste.
During the move
- Keep fire doors closed and exits clear
- Don’t prop doors open unattended (security and fire safety)
- Protect corners and floors on the route if furniture is large
- Don’t leave items in corridors or the foyer
After the move
Inspection
Check the lift, corridors and foyer for damage. Photos before and after protect everyone. Cleaners reporting through our client portal provide a time-stamped record that helps the manager recover repair costs where appropriate.
Cleaning
A move leaves grit, packaging fragments and scuffs. The next cleaning visit — or an extra one-off clean in busy buildings — should cover the lift, route and foyer.
Packaging and bulk waste
Cardboard should be flattened and placed in recycling, not left beside full bins. Furniture, mattresses and e-waste should be removed by the resident, not dumped. See bin room cleaning for dealing with dumping.
End-of-month and holiday peaks
Lease ends cluster at month-end and around Christmas and the new year, when buildings may see several moves in a week. Plan extra cleaning and bin attention around these times.
By-laws
Your building’s by-laws may set rules for moving furniture, use of lifts, hours and responsibility for damage. Make sure residents and property managers know them. If damage occurs, evidence matters — photos, dates and incident records.
A simple move booking form
Many buildings find a one-page move booking form solves most problems. It should capture:
- the lot number and resident’s name and phone number
- the date and time window of the move
- the removalist company’s name
- an acknowledgement of the building’s move rules and by-laws
- an agreement to pay for any damage caused
The building manager or body corporate manager confirms the booking, arranges lift protection and lets the cleaner know so they can plan a post-move clean.
Holiday-letting buildings
In buildings with short-stay accommodation, “moves” happen every changeover day as guests arrive and leave with luggage, prams and beach gear. While that’s lighter than a furniture move, the volume adds up. Lift tracks fill with sand, lift walls get scuffed by suitcases and the foyer sees heavy traffic. Scheduling extra lift and foyer cleaning on changeover days keeps the building presentable for arriving guests and permanent residents. Our Gold Coast guide covers coastal buildings in more detail.
Protecting floors and corners
Lift blankets protect the lift car, but corridors and foyers suffer too. For large moves, corner guards and floor runners on the route help, especially on timber and polished stone. Removalists should never drag furniture across hard floors. If a scratch or chip occurs, a photo and timestamp from your cleaner’s report makes it much easier for the manager to raise it with the right person.
Communicating the rules
The best rules don’t help if nobody knows them. Share them with letting agents and property managers, include them in welcome packs, and put a summary on the noticeboard. A short, friendly reminder in the lift ahead of busy periods such as month-end goes a long way.
How we help
Strata Cleaning Co. can:
- fit and remove lift protection on agreed days
- clean the move route and lift after moves
- photograph and report damage and dumped items
- provide one-off post-move cleans in busy periods
Get in touch or book a free site visit to add moving-day support to your building’s plan.
By Strata Cleaning Co. · 22 October 2026