What to Look for in a Commercial Cleaning Contract

The contract must include a written schedule listing every area to be cleaned, what tasks are performed in each area, and the frequency. Vague descriptions like "clean office areas" are unacceptable. You should see: specific rooms listed, tasks per room (vacuum, mop, sanitise benches, empty bins, clean glass), frequencies per task (daily, weekly, monthly), and which areas are excluded. This specification becomes the standard against which every visit is measured.

NSW commercial cleaning contracts should have a notice period of 30 days. Some companies insert 60, 90 or even 180-day notice periods — or annual lock-in clauses with penalties for early exit. A 30-day notice period is the industry standard and is what reputable companies offer. It protects you if service quality declines, and it also signals that the cleaning company is confident in their service — they do not need to trap you.

The contract must state the fixed price per visit (not per hour unless specifically agreed). It should also specify: when and how prices can be reviewed (annually is reasonable), the amount of notice required before a price increase (minimum 30 days), and whether CPI or a fixed percentage applies. In NSW, CPI-linked annual increases of 3–5% are standard. Watch for contracts that allow the company to increase prices at any time with minimal notice.

The contract should confirm the cleaning company holds: public liability insurance (minimum $10 million, $20 million for most commercial premises), workers compensation insurance covering all staff on your site, and professional indemnity if applicable. The contract should include a requirement to provide current certificates of currency on request and to notify you immediately if insurance lapses. Do not accept verbal assurances — the certificates must be in writing.

What happens when the cleaning is not done, or falls short of the specification? The contract must define: the process for reporting a missed visit or quality issue (phone, email, app), the response time (next-business-day is standard for non-urgent issues), whether a credit or re-clean is provided for missed visits, and who is responsible for assessing quality disputes. Companies that do not have a written make-good policy in their contracts routinely dispute quality complaints.

The contract should state whether the cleaning company directly employs its staff or uses sub-contractors, and what vetting standards apply to both. For sensitive environments, insist on a clause that all staff working on your premises have passed a National Police Check within the past 12 months, and that the company will notify you if any staff member's status changes. Sub-contracting is not inherently problematic — but you are entitled to know who is entering your facility.

The contract must specify how keys, access cards and alarm codes are managed. At minimum: keys should be logged and signed out to named individuals, security codes should be documented and stored securely, the company must notify you immediately of any lost or compromised access credentials, and there should be a process for rekeying at your cost if credentials are lost. For high-security environments, specify that no copies of keys can be made without written consent.

The contract or attached specification should list: the brand or category of cleaning products to be used (especially relevant for medical, food-grade or eco-certified requirements), confirmation that products are appropriate for your specific surfaces, which equipment will be used (HEPA vacuums, steam cleaners, floor scrubbers as relevant), and who is responsible for consumables like bin liners and hand soap. If you have specific product requirements — for allergy, environmental or compliance reasons — these must be written into the contract.

Larger commercial contracts should include: the name and contact details of your dedicated account manager, a frequency for formal quality reviews (quarterly is common), a mechanism for requesting ad-hoc or one-off cleans outside the regular schedule, and an agreed format for cleaning logs or completion records. Good account management is often the difference between a relationship that works long-term and one that degrades after the first few months.