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Window Cleaning

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Window cleaning in a detached house is a straightforward trade. Window cleaning in an Australian apartment is a legal question first and a cleaning question second, because a great many Australians live in strata and in strata the window is usually not yours.

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The owners corporation is responsible for keeping common property safe and in working order, and in most schemes the external face of the glass and the frame sit on the common property side of the line. That is why apartment window cleaning tends to be arranged by the building rather than by the resident, on a cycle, with abseiling or a building maintenance unit rather than a ladder.

There is a second, sharper reason to think before you open a window for a cleaner. In New South Wales, windows within a strata scheme must have a safety lock if the lowest part of the window is within 1.7 metres from the inside floor and the inside floor is 2 metres or higher from the ground outside. A safety lock must stop the window opening more than 12.5 centimetres, and all locks must be childproof and resist force equal to 25 kilograms. The owners corporation must pay to install and repair them unless the by-laws say otherwise. Those devices exist because children fall from windows. Nobody may disable one to make a clean easier, and a cleaner who asks you to is telling you something about how they work.

Whose window is it in a strata building

In a strata scheme the owners corporation must make sure common property is kept safe and working, and may delegate that task to a strata manager. External window surfaces, frames and the building facade generally fall on that side of the boundary, which is why residents in apartment buildings rarely organise their own external window cleaning and why doing so unilaterally can cause problems with the building's insurance and access arrangements.

The practical consequence is that if your apartment windows are dirty on the outside, the first call is to the strata manager or the committee, not to a window cleaner. Buildings run these cleans on a cycle, and adding your unit to the next cycle is usually both cheaper and safer than arranging something private. Interior glass is a different matter and is ordinarily yours.

For a house, none of this applies, but the boundary question resurfaces in another form: a cleaner working from a neighbour's side fence line, driveway or garden needs that neighbour's agreement, and an upper storey that can only be reached from next door is a conversation to have before the booking rather than on the day.

Child window safety devices and why they matter

  • In NSW strata, a window needs a safety lock if the lowest part of the window is within 1.7 metres of the inside floor and the inside floor is 2 metres or higher above the ground outside.
  • A safety lock must stop the window opening more than 12.5 centimetres.
  • All locks must be childproof and must resist force equal to 25 kilograms.
  • Security screens with gaps under 12.5 centimetres, or flyscreens resistant to strong outward pressure, can substitute for locks.
  • The owners corporation must pay to install and repair window locks, unless the strata by-laws provide otherwise.
  • A device that has been removed, jammed or left unlatched to make cleaning easier must be restored and re-engaged before the cleaner leaves.
  • If a cleaner reports that a device is broken or missing, tell the strata manager in writing, because repairing it is the owners corporation's responsibility.
  • These are NSW rules; other states approach window safety differently, so check your own jurisdiction rather than assuming the same numbers apply.

The methods, and where each belongs

  • Traditional squeegee and applicator work, which is still the best finish on reachable glass and the standard for interiors.
  • Water-fed pole systems using purified water, which let a cleaner reach upper-storey glass from the ground and leave no residue to dry into spots.
  • Ladder work, which is the lowest rung of every Australian fall-prevention hierarchy and should be the last option rather than the default.
  • Elevating work platforms for buildings where the ground allows machine access.
  • Rope access and abseiling, and building maintenance units on taller buildings, both of which are arranged by the building rather than by a resident.
  • Track, sill and flyscreen cleaning, which is separate work and is where most of the grit in an Australian house actually sits.
  • Hard water stain and mineral deposit removal on glass, which is a restoration task rather than a clean and may not be fully reversible.

What a proper window clean covers

  • Agreeing what is included: glass only, or glass plus frames, tracks, sills and screens, which is the most common source of disappointment.
  • Removing and cleaning flyscreens and security screens where they can be removed safely, since screens hold a surprising amount of dust.
  • Vacuuming or brushing out tracks before any water goes near them, so grit is not turned into mud in the channel.
  • Washing the glass with an applicator and detergent rather than spraying and wiping, which is what removes film rather than redistributing it.
  • Squeegee work to a consistent pattern, detailing the edges, so there is no line left at the perimeter.
  • Wiping frames and sills, and drying the bottom rail where water collects.
  • Refitting screens and, critically, re-engaging every window safety device and lock before leaving.
  • A check from inside and outside in daylight, because streaks are often only visible from one side and at one angle.

When to have windows done in Australia

  • Avoid cleaning glass in direct summer sun, because the water dries before it can be squeegeed and leaves exactly the marks you paid to remove.
  • Early morning, late afternoon or an overcast day gives far better results in summer.
  • Spring is the usual peak, partly because of pollen and partly because it follows the wet or windy months in most of the country.
  • After a storm season or a dust event, since wind-driven grit and red dust bond to glass and screens.
  • After bushfire smoke, which leaves a fine film on glass, screens and sills that ordinary rain does not remove.
  • Coastal homes need more frequent attention because salt spray builds on glass and corrodes frames and hardware.
  • Before a sale or a rental inspection, since clean glass changes how a room reads more than almost any other single task.

What window cleaning is priced on

  • The number of panes rather than the number of windows, since a multi-pane sash is several pieces of glass.
  • Whether both sides are done, and whether all of the glass is reachable.
  • Height and access, which decide whether the job is pole work, platform work or rope access.
  • Whether tracks, sills, frames and screens are included.
  • The condition of the glass, since mineral staining and paint or render splatter are restoration rather than cleaning.
  • Frequency, because a quarterly cycle is faster per visit than an annual one on the same house.
  • Whether the property is strata, since building-arranged cycles are priced very differently from a single private booking.
  • Site conditions such as garden beds, fences and neighbouring boundaries that constrain where equipment can be set up.

Expectations, remedies and how LokalMatch fits in

Set the expectation before the work rather than after. Some marks on glass are not dirt: mineral staining from years of sprinkler overspray, etching from render or concrete splatter, scratches from a previous scrape, and pitting on coastal glass are all permanent or need specialist restoration. A good operator will point these out before starting and put them in the quote as excluded, which protects both of you.

Where work is not up to standard, the Australian Consumer Law applies as it does to any service: the ACCC says services must be carried out with an acceptable level of care and skill, at least as good as what a competent service provider with average skills and experience would provide, and must be supplied within a reasonable time where no time frame was agreed. Where the problem is minor the business must fix it free of charge, which for streaked glass usually means coming back.

LokalMatch only makes the introduction. You describe the property, the number of storeys, whether it is strata, and whether you want tracks and screens included, and window cleaning businesses that cover your area contact you directly. Those businesses pay LokalMatch for the requests they receive. LokalMatch does no cleaning, quotes no prices and does not vet, rank or recommend any business, so checking with your strata manager before arranging external work is still your step.

Window Cleaning: frequently asked questions

Who pays for window cleaning in an apartment?

Usually the owners corporation for the external glass, because it is generally common property, and the owners corporation must keep common property safe and working. Interior glass is ordinarily the occupier's. Check your scheme's by-laws and ask the strata manager, because the boundary between lot and common property is set by the scheme and is not identical everywhere. If your building runs a cycle, getting on it is almost always cheaper and safer than arranging something private.

Can the cleaner unlock the window safety device to clean the outside?

It must be re-engaged before they leave, and in NSW strata those devices are there by law. A window needs a safety lock if the lowest part is within 1.7 metres of the inside floor and the inside floor is 2 metres or more above the ground outside, the lock must stop the window opening more than 12.5 centimetres, and it must be childproof and resist force equal to 25 kilograms. If a device is broken, tell the strata manager in writing, because the owners corporation must pay to install and repair them unless the by-laws say otherwise.

Why are my windows streaky after being cleaned?

The usual cause is glass cleaned in direct sun, where the solution dries before it can be squeegeed off. The other common causes are a dirty or nicked squeegee blade, water that was not pure enough on a pole system, and detergent residue left at the edges. It is a minor problem under the Australian Consumer Law, which means the business must fix it free of charge, so ask them to come back and, if you can, book the next clean for an overcast day or an early start.

How often should windows be cleaned?

It depends far more on where you live than on the calendar. Coastal properties get salt on the glass continuously and benefit from a quarterly cycle. Houses on unsealed roads or near building sites need it more often. A sheltered inland suburb can often go twice a year without anyone noticing. The practical signal is when you stop looking through the window and start looking at it.

Are the marks on my glass permanent?

Some are. Mineral staining from sprinklers or bore water, etching from cement, render or grout splatter, scratches from previous scraping and salt pitting on exposed coastal glass range from difficult to impossible. There are restoration processes for some of them, but they are separate specialist work and they carry their own risk of changing the surface. Ask the operator to identify anything permanent before the job starts and get it recorded in the quote.

Do window cleaners do the flyscreens and tracks?

Only if you ask, and it is worth asking, because in most Australian houses the tracks and screens hold far more dirt than the glass does. Screens should be removed where it is safe to do so and washed rather than brushed in place, and tracks should be vacuumed or brushed out before any water goes near them, otherwise the grit turns to mud in the channel. Expect it to be quoted separately.

Sources

  1. NSW Government — Safety rules for strata common property
  2. ACCC — Consumer guarantees

Written by the LokalMatch editorial team. Last reviewed 22 September 2026. How we write and check our guides

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What affects the cost of window cleaning

Prices depend on the details of your project. We only publish price ranges when they’re backed by real LokalMatch quote data or reliable sources. Until then, here’s what usually changes the price:

  • Size of the home and number of bathrooms
  • Type of clean: regular, deep, move-in or move-out
  • Current condition and how long since the last clean
  • How often you book
  • Extras like inside the oven, fridge, cabinets or windows
  • Pets, stairs and access

How to compare window cleaners before you hire

  • Ask exactly what's included in a standard clean, a deep clean and a move-out clean, since each company defines them differently.
  • Check whether the company carries liability insurance and whether cleaners are employees or contractors.
  • Ask whether they bring their own supplies and equipment, and whether they can use products you prefer.
  • For recurring service, ask whether the same cleaner or team will usually come.
  • For specialty work like carpet, upholstery or pressure washing, choose someone with the right equipment for that job.

Questions to ask window cleaners before you hire

  • What exactly is included in the clean you're quoting?
  • Do you bring your own supplies and equipment?
  • Are you insured if something is damaged or someone is hurt?
  • Will the same person or team come each time?
  • How do you handle keys, alarm codes and access to my home?
  • What happens if I'm not happy with part of the clean?

Window cleaning permits and local rules

Some window cleaning work needs a permit or has to meet local bylaws. Rules vary by municipality, so ask your pro whether a permit is needed and who will apply for it — and check with your city or town if you’re unsure.

Permits and licensing

Guides about window cleaning

Services related to window cleaning

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