Cleaning in housing cooperatives and condominiums: how the board writes a good tender
Should the board put the common areas out to tender? A good tender describes the area per zone, which surfaces are included, frequency per task, and the desired quality level according to INSTA 800 – not just "stair cleaning once a week". This makes quotes comparable, and you avoid comparing apples with oranges. Also, check that the company is listed in Renholdsregisteret (the Cleaning Register). It's a legal requirement.
What should the tender specify?
The most common mistake is to send out a two-line request: "We need stair cleaning in two stairwells, what does it cost?" Then you'll receive five quotes that are impossible to compare, because each supplier has guessed differently about the scope. Instead, describe the job precisely.
A tender that yields good, comparable quotes should include:
- Area per zone in square meters. Stairwells, laundry rooms, common hallways, elevator, garage, bicycle storage, garbage room. Count the area or retrieve it from building drawings.
- Which surfaces are included. Floors, railings, door handles, mailbox stands, glass panels in the entrance door, skirting boards, window sills. A line item like "stair cleaning" is interpreted very differently.
- Frequency per task. Floor cleaning weekly, but railings and contact surfaces perhaps twice a week, windows in stairwell twice a year. Distinguish between routine tasks and periodic cleaning.
- Desired quality level (INSTA 800). Specify the level you expect on a scale from 0 to 5 (more on this below).
- Winter routine for entrance area. Salt, sand, and slush wear on the floor and are tracked far inside. Describe extra mats, more frequent cleaning of the first few meters, and whether the supplier should follow up throughout the season. See also winter cleaning against salt and slush.
- Requirement for approval in Renholdsregisteret and documented liability insurance.
The more you fill out yourself, the less room there is for a supplier to price low by cutting what you actually need.
How often should the stairs be cleaned?
There's no single answer, and that's precisely why frequency should be described, not assumed. A common rule of thumb is wet cleaning of the stairwell once a week, with dry mopping or an extra round mid-week in the busiest buildings. Low-traffic stairwells with few residents can manage well with every other week.
In winter, the equation changes. When residents track in salt and slush from the pavement, moisture and lime residue penetrate far into the stairwell, and the entrance area becomes worn and grey. In this case, it might be beneficial to clean the first few meters twice a week, even if the rest of the stairwell maintains a weekly frequency.
A better approach than dictating frequency is to describe the result you want. Say that the floor should be free of visible dirt and sand, that railings and door handles should be clean to the touch, and that the entrance area should not have grey streaks of salt. Then the supplier can propose the frequency that actually delivers that result, and you can measure whether they deliver.
What is INSTA 800, and how does the board use it?
NS-INSTA 800 is a Nordic standard for measuring and documenting cleaning quality on a scale from 0 to 5, where 5 is the highest. It says nothing about method or how often cleaning is done, only how clean it actually is when the job is finished. This makes it useful for a board: instead of arguing about "it doesn't look clean," you can agree on a measurable level and check against it.
Be precise in your wording. INSTA 800 is a quality standard, not a company certification. A supplier can offer cleaning according to INSTA 800 level, but no one is "INSTA 800-certified" as a company. Instead, ask them to deliver and document a specific level, and that you can perform spot checks.
For stairwells and common hallways, level 3 is often a good starting point: clean and tidy for daily use, without overpricing a level suitable for a hospital. Representative areas or reception zones in larger housing cooperatives may require a higher level. If you want to understand the mechanics behind the levels, we have a separate review of what INSTA 800 means for buyers of office cleaning.
How does the board compare quotes correctly?
Price is the easiest to compare and the most dangerous to view in isolation. The generalized minimum wage for cleaning is NOK 236.54/hour for adults (effective from June 15, 2025, with a lower rate for workers under 18 and at least NOK 29/hour night supplement). The rate is revised annually in June. When someone is far below what this floor implies in hourly rate, they have either budgeted too few hours for the job or cut corners where they shouldn't have – often in wages or registration requirements.
Compare quotes on equal terms:
| What you check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Same area and same zones | Different scope makes prices impossible to compare |
| Same frequency per task | One quote might have included half as many cleanings |
| Same quality level (INSTA 800) | Level 2 costs less than level 4 for a reason |
| Number of hours, not just total price | Reveals if someone has under-budgeted the time |
| Approval in Renholdsregisteret | Legal requirement – without it, the purchase is illegal |
| Liability insurance and references | Covers damage, and shows they deliver over time |
Ask that each quote specifies the estimated number of hours per month and who is responsible in case of illness and holidays. A low total amount that assumes cleaning is omitted in July is not a saving. The principles are the same as when purchasing office cleaning, and our overview of office cleaning prices provides an idea of what the market is at as of 2026.
Why must the company be listed in Renholdsregisteret?
This is not a recommendation, it's the law. Since July 1, 2018, it has been illegal – also for private individuals and thus for a housing cooperative or condominium association – to purchase cleaning services from a business that is not approved in the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority's Renholdsregisteret (Cleaning Register). Purchasing from an unapproved company is punishable.
The check takes two minutes: look up the company in Renholdsregisteret before you sign. A reputable company has its approval in order and will gladly share it unprompted. If it's missing, it's a clear signal that something is amiss, no matter how good the price looks. We go into this in more detail in the guide on legal cleaning help and Renholdsregisteret.
How long should the contract be?
A common and sensible framework is 12 months with mutual notice of one to three months. This gives the supplier enough predictability to staff permanently, and the board a real way out if quality fails. Avoid long commitments without a termination clause. A housing cooperative board is replaced regularly, and you should not bind a new board to an agreement no one is satisfied with.
Include a point that quality can be evaluated, preferably with a simple INSTA 800 spot check after the first few months, and that persistent deviations provide grounds for early termination. Also agree on price regulation: link it to the annual adjustment of the minimum wage in June, so you avoid surprises when the rate is updated.
Reusable tender checklist for the board
Save this and use it every time common area cleaning is put out to tender:
- Area measured per zone (stairwells, hallways, elevator, garage, storage rooms)
- List of which surfaces are included per zone
- Frequency specified per task, not just "stair cleaning"
- Desired INSTA 800 level stated (typically level 3 for stairwells)
- Winter routine for entrance area described
- Requirement for approval in Renholdsregisteret included in the request
- Requirement for liability insurance and at least two references
- Ask for estimated hours per month, not just total price
- Clarified who covers illness and holidays
- Contract length 12 months with 1–3 months notice and evaluation point
- Check each company in Renholdsregisteret before signing
A board that sends out a request based on this list will receive quotes that can actually be compared, and avoid discovering after three months that "stair cleaning" meant something completely different to the supplier than to the residents. If you would like help setting up a tender for your housing cooperative or condominium association, please feel free to contact us for a no-obligation chat. See also our guide on choosing a cleaning supplier.
