What to Put in a Commercial Cleaning Contract

A commercial cleaning contract should set out who the two businesses are and exactly what cleaning will be done, how often and when, and it should also cover the price, payment terms, keys and access, insurance, safety, and how either side can end the agreement.

The most important section is the scope of work, which is the detailed list of tasks your cleaner agrees to complete, because if a task isn't written down, it's easy to remember the deal differently. This guide explains each part in plain language, so you can check any agreement before you sign it. For background on how quotes are calculated, see our guide to commercial cleaning prices.

A verbal agreement can work for a one-off job, but regular commercial cleaning involves keys, alarm codes, recurring payments and a long list of tasks. The Australian Government's business.gov.au guide to types of contracts explains that written contracts give both sides certainty by setting out the details they have agreed, including the timeframes, payment and what to do if there's a dispute.

A clear contract also makes problems easier to resolve, because you can refer to the written task list instead of arguing about what was promised.

Start with the basics, because they matter more than most people realise, and the business.gov.au guide to preparing a contract recommends including each party's full legal name, business address and Australian Business Number (ABN).

Then describe the site itself, including the street address, the areas that will be cleaned, and any areas that are excluded, such as server rooms, locked offices or tenant-only spaces.

The scope of work is the heart of the deal, so make it clear and detailed, and group the tasks by how often they happen, like this:

• Every visit: emptying bins, cleaning washrooms and kitchens, wiping shared touch points, and vacuuming or mopping floors.
• Weekly: dusting high and low surfaces, cleaning internal glass and spot-cleaning walls.
• Monthly or quarterly: deeper tasks such as cleaning skirting boards, or scheduling carpet steam cleaning.
• Excluded tasks: anything the cleaner will not do, so there are no surprises later.

Also note who supplies hand towel, toilet paper and soap, because this is a common source of confusion. At our free site visits, we agree this written task list with you before we give a price.

The contract should state how many visits happen each week, on which days, and whether cleaning happens after hours or during business hours. Night and weekend visits usually cost more, because cleaning staff are paid higher award rates at those times.

Access arrangements deserve their own clause, so document who holds keys or swipe cards, how alarm codes are stored and shared, which entry the cleaner uses, and what happens if a key is lost. At Aussie Duo, every key is GPS-tracked, alarm codes are stored securely in our system and given only to the cleaner on your site, and we take responsibility for any misuse.

Set out the price per visit, per week or per month, and state clearly whether it includes GST, then add the payment terms: how often you'll get an invoice, and when it's due.

If your cleaner is registered for GST, they must provide a tax invoice when you ask, and the Australian Taxation Office's guide to tax invoices explains what that invoice must show. It's also sensible to agree how much notice you'll receive before any price increase, and how additional work outside the scope will be quoted and approved.

Ask for a certificate of currency before work starts, and make sure the contract also says the cleaner must keep their insurance current the whole time.

Work health and safety also belongs in the agreement. Safe Work Australia explains that businesses sharing a workplace must consult, cooperate and coordinate on safety, and notes that safety arrangements can be built into contractual agreements, although each business still keeps its own duty. Use the contract to record known hazards, where cleaning products are stored, and how incidents will be reported.

Finally, agree how each clean will be recorded. We provide a completed checklist for every visit, which makes it easy to confirm the work against the scope.

Every agreement needs a simple way to report problems, so specify who to contact and how quickly they will respond, and include how changes to the scope are agreed, ideally in writing, so the task list stays accurate as your needs change.

Check the notice period carefully, and look out for terms that let one side change the price or the conditions whenever it likes. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) explains that the law protects small businesses from unfair terms in standard form contracts, and that since 9 November 2023 businesses can face penalties for using them.

If you're comparing providers, our guide on how to choose a commercial cleaner lists the questions to ask first. Aussie Duo is a family-owned Canberra business that has been cleaning since 2013, and our commercial cleaning and office cleaning both start with a free site visit and a written task list. To arrange yours, contact us or call 02 5501 3316, and we'll reply during business hours, Monday to Saturday, 7am to 7pm.