What does it take to keep a condo community looking great? Qualified property managers, HOA maintenance, a skilled maintenance team, reliable groundskeepers, and well-trained HOA cleaning professionals all work in concert. With housing costs and monthly association fees on the rise, creating comprehensive cleaning plans for condominiums presents challenges. This creates a delicate balance between budgetary constraints and tenant expectations. Property managers must carefully consider what services to include in their cleaning plans.
How Maintenance: The Realities of Condo Living
The cost of living, especially in robust urban centers, has been on a steady climb for decades. This makes housing affordability a major challenge. Nearly 30% of the US population lives in some type of condominium, apartment community, or housing cooperative. This represents around 74 million Americans.
Housing costs vary dramatically across the US and rent in major cities like New York or San Francisco can be prohibitive for lower-income households or large families. In addition to mortgage expenses, community residents can also incur another substantial expense: Homeowner Association, or HOA cleaning fees. With approximately 355,000 community associations in the US alone, the average HOA maintenance expense runs between $300 – 700 a month. Some of the most exclusive luxury communities can have HOA fees that exceed a whopping $10,000 a month!
While many factors contribute, most HOA cleaning fees will vary based on the market value of the property. The age and condition of buildings affect costs. The jurisdiction the community is part of impacts fees. The inhabitants’ demand for amenities and services influences pricing. Residents understandably expect those dollars to be put to good use. They typically expect their community to be clean, Ody, and well maintained.
Residents expect to see where their HOA maintenance funds are spent by way of:
1. Clean Common Areas
Whether it’s the grand entryway at the leasing office or the emergency stairwell, residents look at their condo’s appearance. They see it as a reflection of themselves, their businesses, and their lifestyles. Each complex is unique in its needs. Most people expect dust and dirt-free public areas. These areas minimally need regular sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, dusting, and emptying the trash. When developing your cleaning plan, consider all communal zones like lobbies, entryways, foyers, hallways, stairwells, elevators, mailboxes
and package depots, fitness centers, pools, spas, saunas, business centers, multipurpose rooms, emergency egresses, and shared laundry rooms.
2. Spotless restrooms and fitness changing rooms
Whether it’s high-contact surfaces like toilets, sinks, treadmills, or decorative light or crown molding, one of the results of the pandemic was a huge increase in the public’s awareness of disease transmission. Cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitization are an absolute must across the board for all high-use surfaces or exercise equipment. Always keep lavatories and locker rooms well stocked with soaps, hand sanitizers, and paper supplies, and remove trash daily.
3. Sparkling community kitchens, stoves, barbeques, and serving areas
Maintain pristine community kitchens and appliances to help reduce the risk of sickness and prevent the spread of harmful pathogens. Spills create slip hazards. Dirty appliances, cabinets, and refrigerators encourage bacterial and microbial growth that can cause food-borne illnesses or cross-contaminate utensils or cookware. Trash should be removed daily, especially food scraps that attract vermin and roaches.
4. Well-maintained exterior amenities
From cluster mailboxes and package delivery shelters, to pools, hot tubs, parking lots, and walking paths, condo communities should be free from trash, clutter, gardening debris, litter, and obstructions. Windows should be streak-free. Picnic tables and chaise lounges should be regularly cleaned and disinfected. Dumpsters and recycling areas should be refuse-free to deter pest infestations.
5. Seasonally appropriate landscaping, groundskeeping and weather considerations.
Every community has its own unique set of challenges because of climate considerations. Dry regions, like the desert Southwest, see a lot of ambient dust year-round. Areas with lots of rain – like the Pacific Northwest, the Gulf Coast and the Southeastern seaboard – should expect lots of mud and leaf debris to be tracked in, especially during the storm season. Northern climes have to deal with snow, slush and muck during the winter months. Wherever your community is located, be sure to consider the year-round reality when planning your comprehensive checklist.
6. Protected, well-kept dwellings.
Residents look for their communities to be safe and secure. Adequate lighting, security monitoring and gated access are at the top of most wish-lists. This includes wiping down lobby phones, intercoms or access buzzer systems. Replacing bulbs in stairwells and entryways is also important. The cleaning, maintenance or ground crews are often the first line of defense. Schedule regular walkthroughs with your team to stay on top of emerging issues.
Final Thoughts
Creating and maintaining a comprehensive cleaning plan for condominiums requires careful consideration of both resident expectations and budgetary realities. While HOA fees may sometimes seem steep, they provide essential funding for daily upkeep. This keeps communities safe, clean, and accessible. By understanding the scope of cleaning needs, property managers can develop effective plans. These needs range from common areas and amenities to seasonal considerations and structural maintenance. Such planning protects residents’ investment. It also ensures their community remains a desirable place to call home. For professional condominium cleaning services, contact AK Building Services today.
