Quick answer: To switch commercial cleaners without disruption, check the notice period in your current agreement, have the new provider walk the site and agree a written scope before you give notice, line up the old contractor’s last clean with the new team’s first clean, and collect every key, swipe card and alarm code against a list. Done in that order, the change takes about 30 days and your staff will not notice a gap. On the Gold Coast, Gold Keys Commercial Cleaning runs the changeover for you, with a documented checklist and photos after every clean and no lock-in contract.
Most facility managers I meet have put off changing cleaners for months. Not because they are happy with the service, but because switching feels like one more project: another round of quotes, new people with access to the building, and the risk that the first few weeks are worse than what they have now.
I have worked in commercial cleaning on the Gold Coast since 2013, first on the tools and later running teams on large sites. The changeover is rarely the hard part. The hard part is living with a standard that slips a little more every month. Here is how to make the move in 30 days, in the right order.
Signs it is time to change cleaners
- You check the cleaner’s work instead of trusting it
- The same problems come back after you raise them: bins, kitchen benches, washroom supplies
- Cleans are missed and you hear about it from staff, not from the provider
- You cannot reach anyone who can make a decision
- The standard was good in the first month and has drifted since
If two or more of these sound familiar, the issue is usually the system behind the cleaner, not the person holding the mop. Our guide on how to know if your office cleaner is actually doing the job covers what to look for.
Before you give notice, read your current agreement
Start with the termination clause. Many commercial cleaning agreements ask for 30 days’ written notice, while lock-in contracts can carry a minimum term or an exit fee. Write down the date notice has to be given, how it has to be sent and whether any fee applies.
While you have the agreement open, check two more things: who owns any equipment or consumables stored on site, and which keys, swipe cards and alarm codes the current contractor holds. You will need that list in week four. If you are tied into a long term, read why no lock-in contracts change the cleaning industry before you sign the next one.
The 30-day switching plan
Here is the timeline at a glance, followed by what happens each week.
| Week | What happens | Who owns it |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Site walk-through, written scope and fixed price | You and the new provider |
| Week 2 | Written notice, last clean confirmed, access list sent | You |
| Week 3 | Access set up, team inducted, supplies confirmed | New provider |
| Week 4 | First clean, next-day walk-through, alarm codes changed | New provider and you |
Week 1: site walk-through and written scope
Book the new provider to walk the site with you before you give notice. A proper walk-through goes room by room: entries, workstations, meeting rooms, kitchens, washrooms, bins, floors and glass. It should end with a written scope that lists each task and how often it happens, and a fixed price. If a company is happy to quote over the phone without seeing the site, expect the scope to change after you sign.
Week 2: give notice and confirm the last clean
Once the scope and price are agreed, give written notice to the outgoing contractor. Confirm the date of their last clean in writing and send them the list of keys, cards and codes you expect back.
Week 3: access, induction and supplies
The new provider sets up access, inducts their team on site and confirms who supplies consumables such as paper towel, toilet paper, hand soap and bin liners. This is also when the checklist and photo points for your site are built, so every clean is recorded the same way from day one.
Week 4: first clean and walk-through
Book the first clean for the next scheduled day after the old contractor’s last visit, so there is no gap. Walk the site together the morning after, or review the photos if you cannot be there. Anything missed should be fixed within 24 hours.
Keys, swipe cards and alarm codes
This is where most switches go wrong. Collect every key and card from the outgoing contractor against your list, and do not accept a promise to drop them in later. Change the alarm codes on their last day. Where your system allows it, give the new team individual codes so you can see who entered the building and when. Our article on building access and security explains what a professional cleaning team should offer here.
What to ask a new cleaning company before you sign
- Will you visit the site before you quote?
- What is in the scope, room by room, and how often?
- How will I see that each clean was done?
- Who do I call when something is missed, and how fast is it fixed?
- Are your staff police-checked, inducted and in uniform?
- Can you send a current certificate of currency for your public liability insurance?
- Is there a minimum term or an exit fee?
If you are weighing up more than one provider, our guide to comparing commercial cleaning quotes shows how to line them up fairly, and the office cleaning cost guide for the Gold Coast explains what drives the price.
What the first month should look like
The first month sets the standard for the next twelve. Expect the new provider to over-communicate: a walk-through after the first clean, a short check-in at the end of the first and second weeks, and photos after every visit. A few small fixes in the first fortnight are normal. What matters is how quickly they are closed out. If a new provider goes quiet in week two, that tells you what the rest of the year will look like.
Switching to Gold Keys
Gold Keys Commercial Cleaning & Facility Services handles the changeover for offices, childcare centres, gyms and strata buildings across the Gold Coast and Tweed, and is rated 5.0 on Google by the businesses we clean for. When you switch to us, you get:
- A free on-site assessment and a written scope, area by area
- A fixed price before the first clean
- A police-checked, uniformed team inducted on your site
- A documented checklist with photos after every clean
- A direct line to the owner and a 24-hour make-good guarantee
- No lock-in contract, so you stay because the work is right
See our office cleaning Gold Coast service, learn how we approach commercial cleaning on the Gold Coast, check the areas we cover, or call 0468 081 191 to book a free site visit.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice do I need to give my current cleaner?
It depends on your agreement. Many commercial cleaning agreements ask for 30 days’ written notice, while lock-in contracts can set a minimum term or an exit fee. Read the termination clause before you give notice.
How quickly can a new commercial cleaner start?
In most cases a new provider can start within one to two weeks of the site visit, once the scope is agreed, access is set up and the team has been inducted on site.
Do the old and new cleaners need to overlap?
No. You do not need both teams on site at the same time. What you need is no gap: confirm the outgoing contractor’s last clean in writing and book the new provider’s first clean for the next scheduled day.
What should I do with keys and alarm codes when I change cleaners?
Collect every key and swipe card from the outgoing contractor against a list, change the alarm codes on their last day and give the incoming team individual codes where your system allows it.
Written by Fabricio Chaves, founder of Gold Keys Commercial Cleaning. Fab has worked in commercial cleaning on the Gold Coast since 2013, starting on the tools before leading operations teams and founding Gold Keys.
