Exterior cleaning · Strata and property managers · Coming Coming

Exterior cleaning your council can plan

Strata councils and property managers carry the schedule, the budget and the complaints. Drone cleaning is coming to DroneLink, and this page covers how to plan it into your maintenance year.

Coming

This service is launching. Register your site and we'll contact you when it opens in your area.

Planning

Put cleaning in the maintenance plan, not the complaint log

Exterior cleaning is maintenance. Algae on cladding holds moisture, moss on roofs lifts shingles and fills gutters, and dirty glass hides the sealant failures a building envelope inspection is meant to catch early. Most buildings clean glass on a regular cycle and cladding and roofs less often, with the interval set by exposure, trees, traffic and nearby construction.

In British Columbia, strata corporations with five or more lots must now obtain a depreciation report on a five-year cycle, prepared by one of the designated professions, and can no longer vote to defer it. Ontario, Alberta and Quebec have their own reserve fund study rules. These reports are where cleaning intervals and envelope renewals meet the budget. Ask the report author to show cleaning as a recurring item, and keep the records that prove it happened.

Drone cleaning is coming. The equipment is being acquired now. You can register your building and book a site assessment so it is scheduled in the first round.

Put cleaning in the maintenance plan, not the complaint log: Illustration

What drives the cost

Cost drivers, without the guesswork

Driver	Why it matters
Height and shape	Taller walls mean longer hose runs and more passes. Setbacks, balconies and fins add time.
Area of each surface	Glass, cladding and roof are priced by the work they need, not by the building as a whole.
Soiling and growth	Pure water rinse is quicker than soft wash with dwell time. Heavy growth may need two visits.
Hand work needed	Ground-floor detail, entries, recesses and residue removal are hand jobs.
Access and set-up	Where the skid parks, where the hose runs, how far from the water source, and how much ground must be closed.
Airspace and neighbours	Proximity to airports, heliports or busy sidewalks affects planning and timing.
Containment	Buildings next to storm drains or sensitive landscaping need more protection and collection.
Scheduling	A fixed program over several years plans better than one-off visits booked at short notice.

What goes wrong

Problems managers raise most

Owners argue about who pays for windows

Windows and balconies may be common property or limited common property depending on the plan and bylaws.

How we handle itCheck your bylaws and strata plan before scoping. The site assessment can split the scope by area. →

Residents feel watched

A drone at the window with a camera raises reasonable privacy concerns.

How we handle itComing: recording limited to the work, notices with dates and times, and photos kept in the building's project record only. →

Anchors need recertifying before the clean

Rope and stage work depend on certified roof anchors. When they lapse the clean waits.

How we handle itComing: drone cleaning does not use roof anchors. →

No history when council changes

The new council cannot find who cleaned what, when, or what they found.

How we handle itLive today on the platform: a project record per building holds photos, notes, invoices and approvals. →

Notices

Telling residents, step by step

Council approval

Scope and budget approved under your bylaws and the Strata Property Act, or your owner's approval process for rental buildings.

First notice

Dates, the rain dates, which elevations on which days, and why a drone is being used.

What residents do

Close windows and balcony doors, move plants, furniture and laundry off balconies, keep pets inside.

Privacy statement

The aircraft has cameras for navigation and to record results. Say what is recorded, who sees it and how long it is kept.

Day-before reminder

Confirm the elevation and hours, or the postponement if weather turns.

After the clean

Where to report missed areas or concerns, within a set number of days.

Telling residents, step by step: Illustration

Privacy

Cameras near homes: what the law expects

Private organizations in British Columbia that collect personal information are covered by the provincial Personal Information Protection Act, which applies to strata corporations too; other provinces rely on their own laws or the federal Act. The practical rules are the same: collect only what the job needs, tell people, protect it and do not keep it longer than necessary. In the US, privacy and drone surveillance laws vary by state.

For a cleaning job that means pointing cameras at the work, not into suites, not publishing identifiable images of residents, and keeping the photos in the building's record rather than on a crew member's phone. Put it in the notice so residents know before the drone arrives. Safety and environment covers the ground-level side of the same plan.

Cameras near homes: what the law expects: Illustration

The people around the job

Who you coordinate with

Strata council

They need from you: Scope, cost drivers, schedule and insurance certificate.
You need from them: A decision, a contact and access.
On the DroneLink record: Approvals recorded in the building's project. See for property managers and strata.

Depreciation report author

They need from you: Cleaning history and observed conditions.
You need from them: Their recommended intervals.
On the DroneLink record: Photos and notes exported from the project record.

Residents

They need from you: Notice, times and a privacy statement.
You need from them: Windows closed and balconies cleared.
On the DroneLink record: Notice templates filled from the schedule.

Questions

How often should a strata building be cleaned?

Glass is often cleaned once or twice a year and cladding and roofs every year or few years, depending on exposure, trees and nearby construction. Your depreciation report or envelope consultant may already recommend intervals.

Is window cleaning a strata expense or an owner expense?

It depends on whether the windows are common property, limited common property or part of a strata lot, and on your bylaws. Many buildings clean all exterior glass as one strata contract. Check your plan and bylaws.

Do residents have to be told before a drone cleans the building?

It is good practice and it avoids complaints and privacy concerns. Give dates, rain dates, what residents should do, and what the cameras record.

Can a drone record inside my apartment during window cleaning?

It should not. Cameras are for navigation and recording the work, and a proper plan keeps recording to the exterior and keeps images in the building's record only.

Does a depreciation report include window cleaning?

Depreciation reports focus on repair and replacement of common property, but many list recurring maintenance or reference it. Keeping cleaning records supports the envelope assumptions in the report.

How much does drone window cleaning cost for a strata?

It depends on height, surface areas, soiling, set-up, containment and how much hand work is needed. A site assessment gives you a quote based on your building rather than a rule of thumb. Windows and facades explains what the method includes.

Is DroneLink cleaning available for my building now?

Not yet. The service is coming. Register your building and we will contact you for an assessment when equipment is in service.

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