Cleaning contract terms to look for (and the clauses to question)

A commercial cleaning contract should tell you five things clearly: what is cleaned and how often, how long the agreement runs and how it ends, how the price can change, what happens when work is missed, and what the contractor is responsible for on your premises. Most disputes come from contracts that are vague on one of those five, usually because the scope is a single line and the exit is buried in an automatic renewal. This guide lists the terms to look for and the clauses to question before you sign anything, including Delta's own agreement.

1. The scope

The scope is the heart of the contract, and it should be attached to it, not described in it. Look for:

• every area listed, with the tasks for each and the frequency of each task
• periodic work itemised separately with its own frequency and price
• what the cleaner will not do, so there are no arguments about desks, dishes or paperwork
• who supplies consumables and at what price
• a process for changing the scope in writing

A contract that says "clean the premises weekly to a high standard" has no scope. The office cleaning checklist shows what a real one contains, and the guide to how costs are built explains why the scope and the price are the same conversation.

2. Term, renewal and notice

Look for the initial term, what happens when it ends, and the notice period. Questions to ask:

• Does the agreement roll on month to month after the initial term, or renew for another full term automatically?
• How much notice is needed, and does it have to be in writing?
• Is there a window in which notice must be given, and what happens if you miss it?
• Can the contractor end it, and on what notice?

Delta's agreements run for an initial 12 months and then continue on a rolling basis. After the initial term, either side can end the agreement with 30 days' written notice. There is no automatic renewal for a further fixed term. We would rather keep your business by doing the work well than by holding you to a date.

3. Price and price changes

Look for a fixed price per visit, ex GST, with periodic work itemised. Then look for how the price can change:

• Is the price fixed for the initial term?
• How are increases notified, and how much notice do you get?
• What triggers a re-price: a change of scope, a change of frequency, both?
• Are consumables priced separately so an increase in toilet paper is not hidden in the visit price?

Question any clause that allows the price to change without notice, or that ties increases to an index without a cap. Delta fixes the price per visit for the initial term; if the scope changes, that part is re-priced in writing before it starts.

4. Missed work and problems

This is the clause most contracts do not have, and the one that decides whether you will spend your Mondays chasing. Look for:

• how a problem is reported, and to whom by name
• a stated response time, with the hours it applies to
• a period within which missed or substandard work is re-attended at no extra cost
• what happens if a problem repeats

Delta's agreement commits to a reply from the owner within 30 minutes, Monday to Friday 7am to 6pm, and to re-attending anything reported within 24 hours of a clean at no extra cost. The how we handle problems page sets out the full process. A contract that promises "to address concerns promptly" promises nothing.

5. Insurance, workers' compensation and compliance

The contract should state the contractor's public liability cover and confirm workers' compensation is in place, and you should see the certificates, not just the clause. Ask for:

• a current certificate of currency for public liability, with the cover amount
• confirmation that workers' compensation is in place, as WorkSafe Queensland requires of employers at worksafe.qld.gov.au
• safe work method statements for the tasks on your site
• confirmation of police checks for cleaners
• safety data sheets for the chemicals used

Delta carries $20 million public liability insurance, has WorkCover in place and shows all of the above in the compliance pack before the agreement is signed.

6. Keys, access and security

Look for how keys, fobs and alarm codes are held, who is responsible for locking up, and what happens if a key is lost. The contract should name a responsible person and should not leave security to goodwill. At Delta keys are recorded against the site, issued only to the assigned team, and the assigned team leader is responsible for how the site is left.

7. Supervision and inspection

A contract that says nothing about how the work is checked is a contract where nothing is checked. Look for who inspects, how often, whether inspections are scored, and whether you see the results. Delta inspects every site on a scored checklist, done by the owner, with the scores shared through the client portal.

Clauses to question

• Automatic renewal for a further fixed term, especially with a short window to opt out
• Long notice periods of 60 or 90 days combined with automatic renewal
• Price variation at the contractor's discretion or indexed without a cap
• Exclusive supply of consumables at an unstated price
• Liability caps that leave you carrying the cost of damage caused on your premises
• Vague quality language such as "reasonable standard" with no scope attached
• No stated response or re-attendance period for missed work

A quick checklist before signing

1. Scope attached, with tasks, frequencies and periodic items
2. Initial term, what follows it, and a clear notice period in writing
3. Fixed price per visit, with the rules for changes
4. Named contact, response time and re-attendance period for problems
5. Certificates seen: public liability, workers' compensation, SWMS, police checks, data sheets
6. Keys and lock-up responsibility named
7. Inspection method and reporting stated

Next step

Ask every tenderer for their agreement before the walkthrough, and read it against this list. Then book a free walkthrough with Delta and ask the owner to go through ours clause by clause; he calls you within 30 minutes during enquiry hours. Facilities managers in Eight Mile Plains and building managers in Milton will recognise most of the clauses above from their own contractor registers, and the ten questions for choosing a cleaner cover what to ask before the contract even arrives.

Questions people ask

How long should a commercial cleaning contract be?

Twelve months is common for a regular contract, often followed by a rolling period with a notice clause. Shorter terms are possible for one-off or periodic work. What matters more than the length is that the notice period and the exit are clear.

What is a reasonable notice period?

Thirty days' written notice after any initial term is common and fair to both sides. Be careful of long notice periods combined with automatic renewal, which can lock you in for another year if you miss a date.

What should happen if work is missed?

The contract should say how to report it, how quickly the contractor must respond and within what period they must re-attend at no extra cost. Without that, a missed task is just a conversation.