Updated 22 October 2026 · Avenclear Cleaning
Common parts versus demised areas
Common parts are areas shared by occupiers: receptions, lifts, stairs, corridors, shared washrooms and sometimes shared kitchens. Demised areas are each tenant's own space. The lease defines which is which, and the landlord's cleaning obligation usually covers common parts only.
Recovering the cost
Cleaning of common parts is normally recoverable through the service charge where the lease allows it. The RICS professional statement on service charges in commercial property sets out best practice, including that costs should be reasonable, transparent and properly apportioned.
Apportionment
Costs are usually shared by floor area, sometimes weighted. A cleaning specification that separates common parts by floor or zone makes apportionment much easier to explain and audit.
Reporting to occupiers
Occupiers increasingly ask what they are paying for. Monthly audit reports and a published specification help show value and support budget discussions.
Offering tenant cleaning
Many tenants prefer to use the building's contractor for their own floor. Contracting separately with the same company, under the same standards, keeps one team in the building and simplifies security.