Can we have our windows washed using the strata budget?
In this month’s Strata Q&A, we received a question from Grace L, an owner living in a strata scheme in Victoria, who is unsure who is responsible for repairing a leaking air conditioning unit. Is it something she needs to organise herself, or does the responsibility sit with the landlord or the owners corporation?
Q. Can we have our windows washed using the strata budget?
We live in a townhouse complex that’s part of a strata scheme, and the committee is considering organising a building-wide window clean and paying for it out of the strata budget. One of our neighbours says this isn’t something strata should be paying for and that each owner should organise their own window cleaning instead.
Some of the windows are on upper levels and are difficult to access safely, and the dirt and buildup are affecting the overall appearance of the complex. Can our strata scheme arrange for all the windows to be cleaned using strata funds, or is this really an individual owner's responsibility?
A. Yes, your strata scheme can lawfully arrange window cleaning and pay for it through the strata budget.
In situations like this, the key issue usually isn’t who “owns” the windows, but whether they can be safely accessed and maintained. In most strata townhouse schemes, external windows form part of the building envelope and are treated as common property, or at least as an element the owners corporation is responsible for maintaining.
Under strata legislation, the owners corporation has a positive duty to maintain and keep common property in good repair. That obligation includes maintenance tasks like window cleaning, where access is difficult or there are safety risks involved. This is especially relevant where windows are on upper levels, face shared areas, or cannot be cleaned safely by individual owners from the ground.
For example:
High or hard-to-reach windows that require ladders, scaffolding, or elevated work platforms should be cleaned by licensed contractors, not individual owners.
Organising the work centrally allows the strata committee to ensure Work Health and Safety compliance, including proper equipment, insurance, and risk management.
Using a single contractor is often more cost-effective and consistent, and helps maintain the overall appearance and value of the complex.
In practice, strata committees commonly:
Obtain quotes from professional window cleaners.
Schedule cleaning works periodically as part of the maintenance plan.
Pay for the work from the administrative or capital works fund, depending on how the scheme budgets for maintenance.
Even in a townhouse scheme, it is entirely appropriate for the owners corporation to arrange and fund window cleaning where it involves common property, shared structures, or safety considerations. The neighbour’s view that “strata shouldn’t be involved” isn’t correct if the windows can’t be safely accessed by individual owners.
In short, yes, your strata scheme can lawfully arrange window cleaning and pay for it through the strata budget. The deciding factors are safe access, shared responsibility, and compliance with WHS obligations, not whether the scheme consists of townhouses or apartments.
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