Condo Board Cleaning RFP Template for Ontario Corporations

Bidders can only quote accurately if they understand what they are cleaning. Open the RFP with a factual profile of the property so every proposal is written against the same assumptions.

• Number of storeys, suites and elevators, and whether there is a separate service elevator or loading dock.
• Common areas in scope: lobby, corridors, stairwells, garbage and recycling rooms, parking garage, party room, fitness facility, pool and change rooms, guest suites, rooftop amenities.
• Dominant floor types by area, such as marble, porcelain, carpet, sealed concrete or vinyl, because each needs a different method.
• Hours during which work is permitted, noise restrictions, and any times when residents or events make certain areas off limits.
• How contractors gain access: fob systems, concierge sign-in, keys held by the property manager, and any security protocols crews must follow.

Offering a site walk-through to every shortlisted bidder is the single best way to improve proposal quality. Proposals written without one tend to be vague on exactly the points that cause disputes later.

The most common failure in condo cleaning contracts is a scope that reads like a brochure: “clean and maintain all common areas to a high standard.” That sentence cannot be measured, so it cannot be enforced. Ask bidders to respond to a task schedule broken down by area and frequency.

• Daily: lobby floors and entrance glass, elevator cabs and buttons, high-touch surfaces, garbage room check, spot cleaning of corridors and stairwells.
• Weekly: full corridor vacuuming and mopping, amenity room detailing, fitness equipment disinfection, baseboards and door frames at ground level.
• Monthly: carpet extraction in high-traffic zones, floor machine scrubbing of hard surfaces, interior glass and mirror detailing, vent and ledge dusting.
• Seasonal or periodic: floor refinishing, exterior entrance glass, high dusting, garage sweeping, deep cleaning of amenity spaces before peak-use periods.

Ask each bidder to confirm the schedule line by line, and to note any item they would exclude or price separately. Gaps between proposals usually sit in what is excluded, so make exclusions an explicit response field rather than fine print.

State how many days per week service is expected, whether a day porter is wanted for the lobby and amenities, and whether weekends are included. Then ask the bidder to tell you how they would staff it: how many people, for how many hours, at what times.

• Will the same crew be assigned to the building, and how is continuity maintained during illness and holidays?
• Who is the on-site supervisor, and how many hours per week are they physically present?
• How quickly can the contractor respond to an urgent issue outside normal hours, such as a flood, a spill in the lobby or a last-minute event?
• How are crew members screened, trained and equipped before they start at your building?

Continuity matters more than most boards expect. A stable crew learns the building, notices what has changed and needs far less direction from the property manager.

Your corporation carries risk when a contractor works in the building, so the RFP should require evidence, not assurances. Ask for documents that can be verified and kept on file.

• A current certificate of insurance showing commercial general liability coverage, with the condominium corporation and the management company named as additional insureds if your insurer requires it.
• Confirmation of the coverage limits, so the property manager and the corporation’s insurer can judge whether they are appropriate for the building.
• Evidence of the contractor’s workers’ compensation status, such as a clearance certificate or written confirmation from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. Confirm current requirements for your situation with your lawyer or property manager.
• A description of background screening for staff who will have access to residential floors, parking areas and amenity spaces.
• Any fidelity or bonding coverage the contractor carries for theft or damage by employees, if you wish to require it.
• Health and safety documentation: how chemicals are labelled and stored, and how crews are trained to handle them.

Ask bidders to agree that the certificates will be renewed on time and supplied without being chased. A lapsed certificate on a live contract is a problem the corporation inherits.

A contract is only as good as the way performance is checked. Decide in advance how the board will know the work is being done, and require the contractor to build that into the proposal.

• Scheduled supervisor inspections with a written record, at an agreed frequency, using a checklist tied to the task schedule.
• A simple issue-reporting channel for the concierge and property manager, with a stated response time.
• A monthly or quarterly summary: completed tasks, exceptions, periodic work carried out and anything the board should budget for.
• A process for resident complaints, including who responds and how the fix is confirmed.

Boards that include a short review meeting in the first ninety days generally avoid the slow drift that follows a strong start. Ask bidders how they would run it.

Clarify who supplies what. Most corporations expect the contractor to provide all cleaning chemicals, equipment and tools, while consumables such as paper products and liners are either supplied by the contractor at an agreed arrangement or by the corporation.

• Whether eco-friendly or low-odour products are required, particularly in amenity areas and corridors with carpet.
• Floor machine, vacuum and extraction equipment, and how it is maintained.
• Disinfection protocols for high-touch surfaces, fitness areas and pool or change-room facilities.
• Waste handling: how garbage and recycling rooms are cleaned and how waste is moved to collection points.

The first month of a new contract is when expectations are set. Ask each bidder how they would onboard: a site assessment, a baseline clean if the building needs one, crew introductions to the concierge and management, and when the regular schedule begins.

Equally important is the exit. A fair contract lets either party end it on reasonable written notice and sets out what happens to keys, fobs and access credentials on termination. Ask bidders to state their notice terms, and ask your lawyer to review the termination and dispute clauses before the agreement is signed.

Publish the evaluation criteria in the RFP. A clear framework keeps the decision defensible to owners and gives bidders a reason to put their best thinking on paper instead of racing to the lowest line.

1. Completeness and precision of the scope response.
2. Staffing model, supervision and continuity.
3. Insurance, compliance and screening evidence.
4. Quality control and reporting approach.
5. References from comparable buildings, which the board should contact directly.
6. Commercial terms, reviewed alongside everything above rather than in isolation.

Ask for at least two references from comparable properties and actually call them. Ask what happened when something went wrong, because that answer reveals more than a list of satisfied clients.

1. Corporation and property profile, including the site walk-through arrangements.
2. Scope of work schedule by area and frequency, with exclusions to be declared.
3. Service hours, staffing and supervision requirements.
4. Insurance, workers’ compensation and screening evidence required with the proposal.
5. Supplies and equipment responsibilities, and environmental requirements.
6. Quality control, reporting and review meetings.
7. Transition plan, contract term, renewal and termination notice.
8. Evaluation criteria, references, submission deadline and a single named contact for questions.

Used as written, this outline gives every bidder the same starting point, which makes the responses comparable and the final decision far easier to explain to owners at the annual general meeting.