Do you manage a townhome strata complex in Surrey? If so, you may have wondered: are we cleaning all the right spots — or just the easy ones?
Strata councils and property managers must keep shared spaces clean and safe. But budgets are tight. When a cleaning contract is unclear, things get missed. Someone notices. They take a photo. Suddenly it is the main topic at the next meeting.
This page shows what strata cleaning covers in Surrey. Use it to know what to ask your cleaner. For the full list of services, see the strata cleaning in Surrey page.
We cover each area — from the front door and hallways to the parkade, garbage room, and shared spaces. At the end, you will find a clear list of what is NOT included.
Quick Answer: What Does Strata Cleaning Cover in a Surrey Townhome Complex?
| Quick Answer: What Does Strata Cleaning Cover in a Surrey Townhome Complex? ·In a Surrey townhome complex, strata cleaning covers all shared spaces, including: ·Front entrance lobbies and hallways ·Indoor and outdoor stairwells ·Elevators (where the building has them) ·Parkades and covered parking areas ·Garbage and recycling rooms ·Mail and parcel areas ·Shared rooms like the gym, party room, or meeting room Outdoor walkways and building entrances Some contracts also include shared window cleaning and seasonal pressure washing. Cleaning inside your own unit is always the owner’s job — not the strata’s. |
The Entrance, Lobby, and Hallway Areas
The front entrance and lobby are the first things people see. They get a lot of foot traffic every day. Keeping them clean makes a good first impression for everyone who visits.
A good cleaning contract should cover all of these areas:
- Front entrance doors, glass, and handles — wiped clean and germ-free
- Lobby floors — swept, mopped, or vacuumed based on the floor type (tile, carpet, or laminate)
- Hallway floors and baseboards on every level
- Elevator doors, buttons, vents, and floors
- Handrails, light switches, and mailboxes — all wiped and cleaned. We follow WorkSafeBC cleaning guidelines for these high-touch spots.
Since 2020, people expect cleaner shared spaces. A cleaner with no plan for high-touch spots can put your building at risk.
Stairwells and Parkade Areas
In our work across Surrey, parkade stairwells are often the first spots missed. They are out of sight, so dirt piles up fast. No one notices until someone walks through just before a big meeting.
A full cleaning plan for stairwells and parkades should include:
- Indoor stairwells — steps, landings, handrails, and corners on every floor
- Parkade floors — swept on a set schedule, with pressure washing each season
- Parkade stairwells and fire exit hallways — these are often treated as separate from the main stairwells
- Lights and vents in the underground or covered parking area
- Shared parking areas — general debris removal (note: cleaning inside individual parking stalls is usually the owner’s job — see Section 5)
Typical Cleaning Schedule — Stairwells and Parkade Areas
| Area | Typical Frequency |
| Interior stairwells | Weekly |
| Parkade floor sweeping | Bi-weekly or monthly |
| Parkade pressure washing | Seasonally (spring/fall) |
| Fire exit corridors | Monthly |
| Lighting fixtures and vents | Monthly or as needed |
Always look at these areas on their own during a site visit. They need their own line in the contract — do not just lump them under “common areas.”
Got questions? Talk to our Surrey strata cleaning team.
Garbage Rooms, Recycling Areas, and Utility Spaces
Garbage and recycling rooms need daily care. They fill up fast and can smell bad — mostly in hot weather. How clean they look affects how people feel about the whole building.
A good cleaning plan for these areas should include:
- Garbage room floors, walls, and bin areas — swept, mopped, and disinfected
- Recycling areas and bin outsides — wiped down and deodorized
- Cleaning times set around the city’s pickup schedule to stay ahead of smells
- Drain cleaning and odour control — regular drain care follows WorkSafeBC workplace sanitation requirements for spaces that handle waste
- Mail rooms and parcel areas — busy spots that are easy to overlook, especially as more packages arrive each year
How Often to Clean — Garbage and Utility Areas
- Daily: Check for spills, overflow, or bad smells around bins
- Weekly: Sweep and mop floors, wipe down bin outsides, tidy the recycling area
- Monthly: Deep clean walls, treat drains, and disinfect the full bin area
Each of these spaces needs its own line in the cleaning contract. If they get lumped in with general cleaning, things fall through the cracks.
Amenity Rooms and Shared Indoor Spaces
Many Surrey townhome complexes have shared rooms — a gym, a party room, or a meeting room. These rooms add value to the building. But they need their own cleaning plan, not just a spot on the hallway schedule.
A standard cleaning plan for shared rooms should include:
- Gym rooms — wipe down equipment, clean the floor, and clean mirrors
- Party and multipurpose rooms — regular cleaning plus a post-event clean (these should be written separately in the contract)
- Meeting rooms — tables, chairs, whiteboards, and floors
- Indoor pools and hot tubs need a trained expert to clean them. They are covered by the Fraser Health water safety program. They should not be part of a normal cleaning contract.
Who cleans a shared room after a booking? A short checklist — done before and after — keeps things fair and stops fights.
Does your contract name the shared rooms? If not, call your cleaner or review the service terms.
Exterior Common Areas and What Strata Cleaning Does NOT Cover
Outside shared spaces are often part of the cleaning contract too. Knowing what is in — and what is out — helps avoid most disputes.
Standard exterior cleaning usually includes:
- Shared walkways, breezeways, and building entrances — swept regularly and pressure washed each season
- Window cleaning for shared lobby areas (not individual unit windows — those are the owner’s job)
What is NOT included in a standard strata cleaning contract:
| Included in Standard Scope | Not Included — Owner or Specialist Responsibility |
| Main entrance lobbies and hallways | Individual unit interiors |
| Shared stairwells and elevator cabs | Private patios and balconies |
| Parkade common areas and stairwells | Individual parking stall interiors |
| Garbage and recycling rooms | Landscaping and lawn care |
| Mail and parcel areas | Snow removal (separate contract) |
| Shared amenity rooms | Pest control services |
| Exterior walkways and breezeways | Biohazard or restoration cleanup |
| Common area window cleaning | Indoor pool specialist services |
Balconies and patios cause many fights. The BC Strata Property Act says they are limited common property[1]. Big repairs go to the strata. Day-to-day cleaning is the owner’s job. Check your bylaws.
The CHOA has easy guides on shared space rules in BC. It is a great tool for strata councils and managers.
Get a Cleaning Plan That Covers Everything
Knowing what to clean is step one. Step two is making sure your contract names each area clearly — with set dates, no vague wording, and no gaps.
Crystal Clean Dream Team builds cleaning plans just for Surrey townhome buildings. No one-size-fits-all packages. Each visit includes a room-by-room review, so you know what is covered before you sign.
Get a free quote — or see the Surrey strata cleaning page.
Sources & References
- BC Strata Property Act — Common Property Definitions — BC Laws
- CHOA — Condominium Home Owners Association of BC — Limited common property and strata bylaw resources
- WorkSafeBC — Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Workplace — High-touch surface sanitization standards
- Fraser Health — Recreational Water Program — Regulatory oversight of public pools and hot tubs in Metro Vancouver
- ISSA — The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association — Cleaning industry management standards and professional certifications
- [1] Province of BC — Common Property and Limited Common Property — Province of British Columbia (updated July 2024)