Cleaning the communal parts of a block is a managing agent's purchase paid for by leaseholders through the service charge, which makes it the one cleaning contract where the people who see the work are not the people who signed for it. That changes what good looks like: the specification and the record have to be capable of being shown to a leaseholder who is asking what their money bought.
What the specification should cover
Entrance lobby and matting, stairs and landings, lift car and lift doors, corridors, refuse store and bin chute, bike store, and the external entrance area. Glass on communal doors. Handrails and door entry panels. Light fittings and cobwebs on a periodic cycle. Say how often each is done, because a weekly visit to a twelve storey block is a different purchase from a weekly visit to a six flat conversion.
The escape route is the part that matters
Communal corridors and staircases are the means of escape, and article 17 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person to keep fire precautions in efficient working order and good repair. In practice the cleaner is the person most likely to notice items stored in a corridor, a wedged fire door or a blocked bin store. Put reporting those in the specification: an observant contractor is a cheap early warning system.
How the cost reaches leaseholders
Communal cleaning is normally a service charge item, so the cost has to be reasonable and, above the statutory consultation threshold for a qualifying long term agreement, the leaseholders have to be consulted before a contract is entered into. That is a reason to keep the term and the value deliberate rather than accidental, and a reason to hold a specification and audit record that stands up when the charge is questioned.
The record is half the job
A signed visit sheet in the lobby, or a dated photograph set sent to the agent, turns a contested question into a settled one. Most disputes about block cleaning are really disputes about whether the visit happened. The cheapest fix is a record that a resident can see without asking anybody, and it also gives the agent something to show at the annual accounts.
Questions people ask about communal area cleaning
How often should communal areas in a block be cleaned?
Weekly is the common baseline, more often in larger blocks or where there is a bin chute. Frequency should reflect the number of flats and the traffic, not the size of the budget.
Who pays for communal cleaning?
Leaseholders, through the service charge, where the lease allows it. The cost must be reasonable and properly evidenced.
Should the cleaner report fire safety problems?
Yes, and it should be in the specification. The cleaner attends more often than anyone else and is best placed to report storage in corridors or a wedged fire door.
Does a cleaning contract need leaseholder consultation?
A qualifying long term agreement above the statutory threshold does. Keep the term and value deliberate so the question is answered before the contract is signed, not after.