Most committees put up with an underperforming cleaner for longer than they should. Changing feels like hassle: notice periods, approvals, keys, residents to inform. In reality, a well-planned switch takes a few weeks and is barely noticed by residents — except that the building looks better.
Signs it’s time to change
- Repeated complaints about the same areas
- No reliable way to know what the cleaner actually did
- Slow or no response to issues
- Constantly changing staff with no induction
- Price increases without improvement
- Concerns about how cleaners are paid or treated
If you’ve raised problems in writing and nothing has changed, it’s reasonable to look at alternatives.
Step 1: Read the current contract
Check:
- Term and expiry date — is it close to ending anyway?
- Notice period — commonly 30 to 90 days
- Termination clauses — for convenience, for breach, or both
- Any process for raising performance issues before termination
If the contract requires you to give written notice of a breach and an opportunity to fix it, follow that process and keep records.
Step 2: Document the issues
Photos, resident complaints and correspondence help if there’s any dispute. They also help you write a better scope for the next provider.
Step 3: Get quotes before giving notice
Run a proper selection while the current contract continues. Our guide to hiring a strata cleaner walks through it. This avoids a gap in service.
Step 4: Approve and give notice
Once the committee (or general meeting, if required) has approved the new provider, the body corporate manager gives written notice under the contract. Keep it factual and professional.
Step 5: Plan the handover
Agree a start date that aligns with the notice period. A good new provider will:
- collect keys, fobs and access cards from the manager (not from the outgoing cleaner directly), and record them
- conduct a site induction and walk-through with the building or body corporate manager
- photograph the building’s condition on day one, so there’s a baseline
- set up the building’s checklist and reporting
- introduce themselves to the caretaker if there is one
Make sure the outgoing provider returns all keys and removes their equipment and chemicals.
Step 6: Tell residents
A short notice in the lift or by email: who the new cleaner is, when they start, what days they attend, and how to give feedback. It sets expectations and goodwill.
Step 7: The first 30 days
Expect the first few visits to involve catching up on neglected areas. A good provider will flag what needs a one-off deep clean and quote it separately rather than hiding it. Book a 30-day review with the committee to check progress against the scope.
Avoiding a repeat
- Insist on a written scope listing every task and frequency
- Make reporting part of the contract
- Review performance quarterly, not just at renewal
- Choose a provider that pays its people fairly — high turnover often comes from poor pay
What to ask the new provider
Before committing, ask the incoming provider how they handle transitions:
- Who will manage the start and be your main contact?
- Which cleaners will be assigned, and will they stay consistent?
- How will keys and access be recorded?
- What will the first visit include?
- How will the committee see progress in the first month?
A confident answer to each shows the provider has done this before.
A note on staff
Sometimes residents are fond of an individual cleaner even when the company’s overall service is poor. It’s worth knowing that a cleaner’s employment is a matter between them and their employer. The body corporate shouldn’t try to transfer staff between providers without proper process, but there’s nothing stopping the new provider from considering an application from a cleaner who wants to keep working at the building.
Avoiding disputes with the outgoing provider
Keep communications professional and in writing, follow the contract’s notice process, and pay any amounts properly owing. Ask the outgoing provider to confirm when keys, fobs and equipment have been returned. If there’s a disagreement about performance or payment, the body corporate manager can help, and the scheme’s records and reports will be useful evidence.
Measuring the difference
Before the switch, record a baseline: photos of key areas, recent complaints and a resident satisfaction score if you have one. Three months after the change, compare. Clear improvement is the best way to show owners that changing was the right decision, and it gives the committee confidence for future procurement.
We make switching easy
Most of our new clients come to us from another provider. We handle the transition with the manager, start with a baseline photo report, and committees can see every visit in our client portal from day one. Book a free site visit to start the conversation — there’s no obligation, and we’ll work around your notice period.
By Strata Cleaning Co. · 8 October 2026