Shared buildings have a cleaning problem that detached houses do not. Dozens or hundreds of people use the same lobby, the same elevators, the same stairwells and the same garbage room every day, and none of them own those spaces outright. Wear shows up quickly, complaints land on a strata council or property manager’s desk, and the person who notices a soiled elevator rarely notices it alone. A janitorial program for a strata or multi-tenant building has to be built around shared use, controlled access, and a written scope that both the contractor and the building’s decision makers agree on before the first shift begins.
What Makes Cleaning a Strata or Multi-Tenant Building Different
A single-tenant commercial property usually has one occupant who sets the standard and one point of contact. A strata building is the opposite. The people paying for the service are also the people using the space, and their expectations do not always match. That changes how janitorial work gets planned, delivered and measured.
- Responsibility for common areas sits with the corporation or the property manager, not with an individual owner or tenant.
- Access is controlled. Cleaners may need fobs, keys, alarm codes or sign-in procedures for different areas of the same building.
- Occupancy varies. A residential tower, a mixed-use podium with retail at grade, and an office building with evening traffic all generate different soil loads.
- Complaints travel fast through council meetings, tenant meetings and group chats, so documentation of completed work matters.
- Specialty trades stack on top of routine cleaning. Floor refinishing, window cleaning, pressure washing and building repairs all need to be coordinated so they do not conflict with daily service.
Buildings in Vancouver also deal with a climate that pushes moisture, grit and salt indoors for much of the year. Entryways, elevator floors and parkade ramps take the brunt of it, which is why entrance matting, hard surface cleaning and frequent spot mopping tend to matter more here than in drier cities.
Core Janitorial Tasks in Shared Spaces
Most strata and multi-tenant cleaning contracts cover a predictable set of areas. The exact list varies by building, but the categories below are the ones worth naming explicitly in a scope of work so nothing gets left to assumption.
- Lobbies and entrances: glass doors, vestibules, matting, hard floors, furniture, light switches and touchpoints.
- Elevators: cab floors, walls, tracks, door edges and handrails.
- Corridors and stairwells: vacuuming or mopping, spot cleaning walls, dusting ledges and railings.
- Washrooms: fixtures, partitions, mirrors, restocking supplies and emptying waste.
- Garbage and recycling rooms: floor cleaning, bin area washing, odour control and tidying of overflow.
- Amenity spaces: fitness rooms, party rooms, meeting rooms, laundry rooms and mail areas.
- Parkades and loading areas: sweeping, spot cleaning, drain area checks and litter pickup.
Private suites and leased premises typically sit outside a common area contract. If a building wants unit turnover cleaning or a move-out clean, that is generally quoted separately.
Matching Task Frequency to Building Traffic
Frequency is where budgets and expectations collide. Cleaning every surface every day is not realistic for most buildings, and cleaning everything weekly produces complaints in high traffic areas. A tiered schedule solves most of this by tying each task to how quickly that area actually soils
Area or task | Typical frequency | Why it lands there |
Lobby floors and entry glass | Daily | Highest foot traffic and the most visible surface in the building |
Elevator cabs | Daily | Enclosed space, constant use, fingerprints and tracked debris |
Washrooms | Daily, sometimes twice | Sanitation, supply restocking and odour control |
Corridors and stairwells | Two to three times weekly | Moderate traffic, slower visible soiling |
Parkade sweeping | Weekly or monthly | Grit and dust accumulate steadily but are less visible |
Hard floor stripping and waxing | One to a few times per year | Finish wears down gradually and is restored on a cycle |
Exterior pressure washing | Seasonal | Depends on weather, staining and building exposure |
Treat the frequencies above as a starting framework rather than a standard. A tower with retail at grade, a busy rental building or a property with a gym will need a heavier schedule than a quiet low-rise. Ask the contractor to walk the building and propose frequencies area by area.
Floor Care and Hard Surface Programs
Hard floors are one of the largest visible assets in a shared building, and they fail slowly. A finish that has worn through in the lobby or along a corridor shows as dull patches and dark traffic lanes long before the floor itself is damaged. Strip and wax cycles, along with periodic refinishing, keep vinyl, tile and other resilient surfaces looking maintained instead of neglected.
Carpet needs its own plan. Common area carpet in corridors and amenity rooms collects soil from outside and from unit entries, and spot treatment between scheduled cleanings prevents small stains from becoming permanent. Stone and sealed surfaces generally need products matched to the material so the finish is not dulled or etched.
Exterior and Specialty Services
Routine janitorial work covers the inside of a building, but strata and multi-tenant properties also need exterior and specialty work on a schedule of its own. Window cleaning for glass at grade, common area glazing and interior partitions keeps natural light useful and removes the film that builds up from rain and street dust. Pressure washing handles entryways, walkways, parkade surfaces, garbage areas and building exteriors where staining accumulates.
Investing in professional pressure washing services is a smart decision for any property owner. Not only does it improve the appearance of your property, but it also helps protect it from long-term damage and increase its value. Adding these services into the scope of work ensures that dirt and grime detract from the beauty and value of your property.
Working With Strata Councils and Property Managers
Communication is the difference between a janitorial contract that runs quietly and one that generates monthly friction. Councils and managers should expect a named supervisor or account contact, a defined way to report issues, and some form of inspection or quality check that is documented rather than verbal.
- Agree on who receives reports and how quickly issues get a response.
- Set a process for one-off requests such as spill cleanup, event support or extra cleaning after a repair or renovation.
- Keep a shared record of keys, fobs and alarm codes, and update it whenever staff change.
- Review performance on a regular cycle so problems are addressed before renewal.
- Confirm how supplies, equipment storage and utility access are handled inside the building.
Common Problems and How to Catch Them Early
Most recurring complaints in shared buildings follow predictable patterns. Entrances look dirty first, especially in wet months. Elevator tracks collect debris and cause noise or door issues. Garbage rooms develop odour when floors and bins are not washed regularly. Stairwells get skipped because they are rarely seen, then suddenly become visible during an inspection. Washroom supplies run out if restocking is not tied to a delivery schedule.
A short monthly walkthrough with the contractor, done with a checklist rather than a general impression, catches these issues while they are still small. It also gives the council or manager something concrete to point at during budget discussions, since documented service is easier to defend than a general feeling that the building seems less clean than it used to.
What to Ask Before Signing a Janitorial Contract
Lastly, some questions to ask before signing the Contract. The lowest quoted number is not automatically the best value, and a scope that is vague in writing becomes vague in practice. Before committing, ask each provider to walk through the following.
- An area-by-area task list with frequencies written out, not described generally.
- Who supplies consumables such as paper, soap and liners, and whether that sits inside or outside the contract price.
- Proof of liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage, with details confirmed directly by the provider.
- How workers are screened, supervised and trained, and whether the same crew attends the building consistently.
- What counts as extra work, how it is authorized and how it is billed.
- How the contract handles service hours, holiday coverage and temporary schedule changes.
- Review renewal clauses and termination terms on both sides.
Pricing varies widely with square footage, frequency, building type and access conditions, so ask the provider for a written quote rather than relying on a general figure. Local strata rules and municipal requirements also change over time, so check your building’s bylaws and confirm any current requirements with the relevant authority before finalizing an agreement.
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