Communal Cleaning for Blocks of Flats: Standards and Best Practice
A comprehensive guide to communal cleaning in blocks of flats. Understand cleaning schedules, costs, service charge allocation, and how a proactive managing agent ensures your communal areas are maintained to the highest standards. Whether you are a leaseholder, a director of a residents' management company, or a freeholder, this guide covers everything you need to know about keeping shared spaces clean, safe, and welcoming.
Why Communal Cleaning Matters
The standard of communal cleaning in a block of flats has a direct impact on first impressions, property values, resident satisfaction, and the health and safety of everyone who uses the building. Clean, well-maintained communal areas signal that a building is professionally managed and cared for, while neglected hallways, dirty stairwells, and unkempt entrance lobbies can deter prospective buyers, lower property values, and create an unpleasant living environment.
Beyond aesthetics, there are important health and safety considerations. Poorly cleaned communal areas can present slip and trip hazards, harbour pests, and contribute to the spread of allergens and bacteria. Buildings with inadequate cleaning regimes may also face issues with their insurance cover, as insurers expect communal areas to be maintained to a reasonable standard as part of the building's overall risk management.
A proactive managing agent recognises that communal cleaning is not simply a cost to be minimised but an essential service that protects property values, supports resident wellbeing, and ensures the building meets its legal and insurance obligations. For more information on how we approach communal area upkeep, visit our communal area management page.
What Should Communal Cleaning Include?
A thorough communal cleaning programme should cover every shared space within the building. The exact scope depends on the size and layout of the block of flats, but a well-drafted cleaning specification will typically include the following areas and tasks.
At Block, we ensure that every building we manage has a detailed cleaning specification tailored to its specific needs. Our communal cleaning service covers all of the following as standard.
- Hallways and corridors - sweeping, mopping, or vacuuming floors, wiping skirting boards, removing cobwebs, and ensuring lighting is unobstructed
- Stairwells and landings - cleaning treads, risers, and handrails, mopping hard floors, vacuuming carpeted areas, and ensuring fire escape routes are clear
- Lifts - cleaning lift floors, walls, mirrors, and buttons, removing marks and fingerprints, and reporting any maintenance issues to the managing agent
- Entrance lobbies - cleaning door glass, mat wells, post boxes, intercom panels, and all surfaces in the main entrance area
- Bin stores and refuse areas - sweeping, washing down, deodorising, and ensuring bins are correctly positioned and the area is free from loose waste
- External paths and entrance areas - sweeping paths, clearing leaves and debris, jet washing as required, and maintaining a clean approach to the building
- Window cleaning - internal and external cleaning of communal windows, entrance glazing, and any glass panels in stairwells and corridors
- Deep cleans - periodic intensive cleaning including carpet shampooing, high-level dusting, pressure washing of external areas, and thorough cleaning of areas not covered in routine visits
A comprehensive cleaning schedule ensures that nothing is missed and that every communal area is maintained to a consistent standard. For further detail on how maintenance and cleaning fit into the broader management of your building, see our building maintenance page.
Cleaning Schedules and Frequencies
An effective cleaning schedule balances frequency, thoroughness, and cost. The right schedule depends on the size of the block of flats, the number of residents, the volume of foot traffic, and the nature of the communal areas. A well-structured schedule ensures that high-traffic areas receive frequent attention while less-used spaces are cleaned on an appropriate cycle.
The managing agent should work with the cleaning contractor to design a schedule that meets the specific needs of the building. At Block, we tailor every cleaning schedule to the individual building and review it regularly to ensure it remains appropriate.
Daily Tasks
In larger blocks of flats or buildings with high foot traffic, daily tasks include sweeping and spot-mopping entrance lobbies, checking and emptying communal waste bins, cleaning lift floors and buttons, and removing any visible litter or debris from main circulation areas.
Weekly Tasks
Weekly tasks typically include full mopping or vacuuming of all hallways, stairwells, and landings, cleaning handrails and balustrades, wiping down surfaces in entrance lobbies, cleaning internal door glass, and checking that fire escape routes are clear and unobstructed.
Monthly Tasks
Monthly tasks include washing down bin store areas, cleaning communal windows at lower levels, high-level dusting and cobweb removal, cleaning light fittings and signage, and a thorough clean of any communal laundry rooms, cycle stores, or other shared facilities.
Quarterly and Seasonal Tasks
Quarterly tasks include deep cleaning of carpeted areas, jet washing external paths and entrance areas, full external window cleaning, and a detailed inspection of all communal areas to identify any maintenance issues. Seasonal considerations include increased leaf clearance in autumn, gritting in winter, and additional cleaning after periods of adverse weather.
The cleaning schedule should be documented, shared with residents, and reviewed at least annually. Adjustments may be needed as the building ages, as occupancy levels change, or as seasonal factors affect the condition of communal areas. For a broader overview of how we structure ongoing maintenance and services, visit our block management page.
Costs and Service Charge Implications
Communal cleaning is funded through the service charge and is one of the most visible and frequently scrutinised line items in the annual budget. Leaseholders understandably want to know that they are receiving a good standard of cleaning for the amount they pay, and the managing agent has a duty to ensure that the cleaning contract represents value for money.
The cost of communal cleaning varies considerably depending on the size of the building, the extent of the communal areas, the frequency of visits, and the geographic location. For a small block of six to twelve flats, typical annual cleaning costs range from one thousand five hundred to three thousand pounds. For medium-sized blocks of twenty to fifty units, costs typically range from four thousand to eight thousand pounds per year. Larger developments with lifts, multiple staircases, extensive lobbies, and external areas can expect to pay ten thousand pounds or more annually.
The managing agent should ensure that cleaning costs are competitively tendered, with contracts re-tendered at regular intervals to ensure ongoing value for money. At Block, we operate a transparent tendering process and ensure that all cleaning costs are clearly itemised in the service charge budget.
Competitive Tendering
Cleaning contracts should be competitively tendered at least every three years. The managing agent should obtain multiple quotes based on a detailed specification and assess them on both price and quality.
Contract Management
A well-managed cleaning contract includes clear terms, performance standards, notice periods, and provisions for price reviews. The managing agent should actively manage the contract rather than simply allowing it to roll over.
Service Charge Transparency
Cleaning costs should appear as a clearly itemised line in the service charge budget. Leaseholders should be able to see exactly what they are paying for and how the cost compares to previous years.
Value for Money Assessment
The managing agent should benchmark cleaning costs against comparable buildings and assess whether the standard of cleaning justifies the cost. This assessment should form part of the annual budget review.
For a detailed explanation of how service charges work and how costs like communal cleaning are allocated between leaseholders, read our service charge guide or visit our service charge management page for information on how we manage budgets and expenditure.
Managing Cleaning Quality
Appointing a cleaning contractor is only the first step. Maintaining consistently high standards of communal cleaning requires active management, regular inspections, and a clear framework for assessing performance. The managing agent plays a central role in ensuring that the cleaning contractor delivers the service to the agreed specification and that any issues are identified and resolved quickly.
At Block, we take a structured, proactive approach to managing cleaning quality across all the buildings in our portfolio. Our approach includes the following elements.
- Detailed cleaning specifications that set out exactly what is to be cleaned, how often, and to what standard, forming the basis of the contract and providing a clear benchmark for assessment
- Key performance indicators agreed with the contractor covering areas such as responsiveness, consistency, complaint resolution, and overall cleanliness standards across all communal areas
- Regular site inspections by the property manager to verify that the cleaning specification is being met, with documented findings and follow-up actions where standards fall short
- Resident feedback channels so that leaseholders and tenants can report cleaning issues directly to the managing agent, with all reports logged and acted upon promptly
- Contractor review and replacement - where a cleaning contractor consistently fails to meet the agreed specification, the managing agent should take corrective action and, if necessary, re-tender the contract to appoint a better provider
The managing agent's role in maintaining cleaning quality cannot be understated. A good agent does not simply appoint a contractor and leave them to it - they actively manage the relationship, hold the contractor to account, and ensure that leaseholders receive the standard of service they are paying for through the service charge. To learn more about how we manage buildings and their services, visit our block management page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Communal Cleaning
How often should communal areas in a block of flats be cleaned?
The frequency of communal cleaning in a block of flats depends on the size of the building, the number of residents, and the level of foot traffic. As a general standard, entrance lobbies and high-traffic hallways should be cleaned at least twice per week, stairwells and corridors weekly, and deep cleans of all communal areas carried out quarterly. Larger buildings or those with lifts, bin stores, and car parks may require daily cleaning. The cleaning schedule should be set out in a formal specification agreed between the managing agent and the cleaning contractor, and reviewed regularly to ensure it meets the needs of the building.
Who is responsible for communal cleaning in a block of flats?
Responsibility for communal cleaning in a block of flats sits with the freeholder or the residents' management company, usually delegated to the managing agent. The managing agent is responsible for appointing and managing a cleaning contractor, setting the cleaning specification, monitoring the quality of work, and ensuring the cost is properly budgeted within the service charge. Individual leaseholders are not responsible for cleaning communal areas themselves, but they contribute to the cost through their service charge payments in accordance with the apportionment set out in the lease.
How much does communal cleaning cost in the service charge?
The cost of communal cleaning within the service charge varies depending on the size of the building, the scope of the cleaning specification, and the frequency of visits. For a small block of six to twelve flats, communal cleaning typically costs between one thousand five hundred and three thousand pounds per year. Medium-sized blocks of twenty to fifty units might pay between four thousand and eight thousand pounds per year. Larger developments with lifts, multiple staircases, and extensive communal facilities can expect costs of ten thousand pounds or more annually. The managing agent should competitively tender the cleaning contract regularly to ensure value for money.
Can leaseholders challenge the quality of communal cleaning?
Yes, leaseholders can and should raise concerns about the quality of communal cleaning with the managing agent. The managing agent has a duty to ensure that the cleaning contractor is delivering the service to the agreed specification. If the standard of cleaning is consistently poor, the managing agent should address this with the contractor, carry out additional inspections, and if necessary, re-tender the contract to appoint a better provider. Leaseholders can also raise concerns at residents' meetings or, in serious cases, challenge the reasonableness of the service charge at the First-tier Tribunal if they believe they are paying for a service that is not being delivered.
What is included in a communal cleaning specification?
A communal cleaning specification sets out exactly what the cleaning contractor is required to do, how often, and to what standard. A comprehensive specification typically includes sweeping and mopping hallways, stairwells, and landings, vacuuming carpeted areas, cleaning entrance lobbies and door glass, wiping handrails and balustrades, cleaning lifts including floors, walls, and buttons, emptying communal waste bins, cleaning bin store areas, washing down external paths and entrance areas, and periodic deep cleans including window cleaning and carpet shampooing. The specification should be detailed enough to be measurable and should form part of the cleaning contract so that performance can be objectively assessed.
How can we improve the standard of communal cleaning in our building?
Improving the standard of communal cleaning starts with having a clear, detailed cleaning specification that sets out exactly what is expected. The managing agent should carry out regular inspections to verify that the specification is being met, and should maintain an open feedback channel so residents can report issues promptly. If the current contractor is underperforming, the managing agent should competitively tender the contract to find a better provider. Other improvements include increasing the frequency of cleaning in high-traffic areas, scheduling periodic deep cleans, and ensuring the cleaning contractor has the right equipment and materials. A proactive managing agent will benchmark cleaning standards against comparable buildings and continuously look for ways to improve the service.
Professional Communal Cleaning Management
Whether your building needs a new cleaning contractor, a reviewed cleaning schedule, or a complete overhaul of its communal cleaning arrangements, Block can help. Our block management service includes full management of communal cleaning contracts, from specification and tendering to ongoing quality monitoring and service charge budgeting. We ensure your communal areas are maintained to the highest standard at a fair and transparent cost.